BILL ANALYSIS Ó
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 1528|
|Office of Senate Floor Analyses | |
|(916) 651-1520 Fax: (916) | |
|327-4478 | |
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THIRD READING
Bill No: AB 1528
Author: Committee on Water, Parks, and Wildlife
IntroducedIntroduced:3/18/15
Vote: 21
SENATE NATURAL RES. & WATER COMMITTEE: 7-2, 6/23/15
AYES: Pavley, Allen, Hueso, Jackson, Monning, Vidak, Wolk
NOES: Stone, Hertzberg
ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 75-0, 4/30/15 - See last page for vote
SUBJECT: Public resources
SOURCE: Author
DIGEST: This bill establishes lace lichen as the official
state lichen with supporting legislative findings, and makes
numerous technical and clarifying corrections to the Public
Resources Code.
ANALYSIS:
Existing law:
1)Establishes and designates a number of official state emblems,
including but not limited to, a state flower, tree, butterfly,
reptile, amphibian, animal, fish, rock, grass, mineral,
gemstone, marine mammal, fossil, and prehistoric artifact.
2)Establishes the Division of Boating and Waterways (division)
and its predecessors as the state regulator of the operation
of vessels in the state's inland and coastal waterways. As of
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July 1, 2013, the division became part of the Department of
Parks and Recreation.
3)Renames the Department of Fish and Game as the Department of
Fish and Wildlife.
This bill designates the lace lichen as the official state
lichen, makes legislative findings in support of this
designation, and makes several technical and clarifying
corrections to the Public Resources Code including the deletion
of an obsolete provision, and updating references to the
Department of Fish and Wildlife and the division.
Background
Lichens are unique organisms that consist of both a fungus and
an algae living together in a symbiotic relationship. The Lace
Lichen, Ramalina menziesii, is native to California and commonly
found throughout much of the state. It is considered to be
beautiful. Currently, the state does not designate a state
lichen, but does have a number of other official state emblems,
as noted in #1 of existing law.
FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: No Fiscal
Com.:NoLocal: No
SUPPORT: (Verified6/25/15)
California Lichen Society
OPPOSITION: (Verified6/25/15)
None received
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT: According to Assemblymember Levine:
AB 1528 would correct out-of-date references to the prior
Department of Boating and Waterways in the Public Resources
Code and eliminate other obsolete code provisions.
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This bill, in naming the Lace Lichen as the official state
lichen will also help to promote appreciation, education and
study of lichens, and the important role they play in our
natural environment. The Lace Lichen is a good representative
of the lichen family for being named the state lichen because
it is a beautiful native lichen that is commonly found
throughout much of California.
Lichens are excellent examples of symbiosis in nature, in
which two organisms are dependent on each other. [?] Lichens
are important for both wildlife and people. A variety of
animals rely on lichens as a food source. Lichens also have
anti-bacterial properties and have been used medicinally for
thousands of years. Lichens live in many diverse types of
environments and are very adaptable. They are also actively
being used as biological indicators of air quality and climate
change around the world including in California.
ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 75-0, 4/30/15
AYES: Achadjian, Alejo, Travis Allen, Baker, Bigelow, Bloom,
Bonilla, Bonta, Brown, Burke, Calderon, Chang, Chau, Chiu,
Chu, Cooley, Cooper, Dababneh, Dahle, Daly, Dodd, Eggman,
Frazier, Beth Gaines, Gallagher, Cristina Garcia, Eduardo
Garcia, Gatto, Gipson, Gomez, Gonzalez, Gordon, Grove, Hadley,
Roger Hernández, Holden, Irwin, Jones, Jones-Sawyer, Kim,
Lackey, Levine, Linder, Lopez, Low, Maienschein, Mathis,
Mayes, McCarty, Medina, Melendez, Mullin, Nazarian, Obernolte,
O'Donnell, Olsen, Patterson, Perea, Quirk, Rendon,
Ridley-Thomas, Rodriguez, Salas, Santiago, Steinorth, Mark
Stone, Thurmond, Ting, Wagner, Waldron, Weber, Wilk, Williams,
Wood, Atkins
NO VOTE RECORDED: Brough, Campos, Chávez, Gray, Harper
Prepared by:Katharine Moore / N.R. & W. / (916) 651-4116
6/26/15 13:28:39
**** END ****
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