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


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