BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 1844
Page 1
ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB
1844 (Gallagher)
As Amended May 27, 2016
Majority vote
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|Committee |Votes|Ayes |Noes |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|----------------+-----+----------------------+--------------------|
|Water |11-2 |Gallagher, Bigelow, |Levine, Gordon |
| | |Dababneh, Dodd, | |
| | |Cristina Garcia, | |
| | |Gomez, Harper, Lopez, | |
| | |Mathis, Olsen, Salas | |
| | | | |
|----------------+-----+----------------------+--------------------|
|Veterans |9-0 |Irwin, Chávez, | |
|Affairs | |Achadjian, Alejo, | |
| | |Brown, Daly, Frazier, | |
| | |Mathis, Salas | |
| | | | |
|----------------+-----+----------------------+--------------------|
|Appropriations |20-0 |Gonzalez, Bigelow, | |
| | |Bloom, Bonilla, | |
| | |Bonta, Calderon, | |
| | |Chang, Daly, Eggman, | |
| | |Gallagher, Eduardo | |
| | |Garcia, Roger | |
| | |Hernández, Holden, | |
AB 1844
Page 2
| | |Jones, Obernolte, | |
| | |Quirk, Santiago, | |
| | |Wagner, Weber, Wood | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
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SUMMARY: Requires the Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) to
reduce the fee required to obtain a lifetime sportsmen, hunting
or fishing license by 25% for a person who is a Veteran of the
Armed Forces of the United States and was honorably discharged.
EXISTING LAW:
1)Requires an annual hunting license to be issued to any
resident of the state age 18 years or older upon payment of a
fee of $31.25. The current fee for an adult resident hunting
license is $47.01.
2)Requires a sport fishing license to be issued to a resident,
16 years of age or older, for a fee. The current license fee
for a resident adult sport fishing license is $47.01.
3)Authorizes a disabled Veteran or recovering service member to
purchase a reduced-fee hunting license, or a reduced-fee sport
fishing license, for a base fee of $4.00, which with annual
adjustments is currently $6.95. Defines a disabled Veteran as
a person having a 50% or greater service-connected disability
and an honorable discharge from military service. A
recovering service member is a member of the military,
including a member of the National Guard or a Reserve, who is
undergoing medical treatment, recuperation, or therapy and is
in an outpatient status while recovering from a serious injury
AB 1844
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or illness related to the member's military service.
4)Authorizes the purchase of lifetime hunting or fishing
licenses, and requires a lifetime hunting license or lifetime
sport fishing license to be issued upon payment of a base fee
that ranges from $365 to $600, depending on the age of the
applicant. The base fee is applicable to the 2004 license
year. Current lifetime hunting and sport fishing license fees
after annual adjustments range from $517 to $844.50, depending
on age. Additional lifetime packages are also available for
bird hunting, big game hunting and additional fishing
privileges.
5)Requires that the first $20 of fees collected from initial
sales of lifetime hunting and fishing licenses be deposited in
the Fish and Game Preservation Fund, and the balance deposited
in the Lifetime License Trust Account, with the principal
subject to investment. Authorizes the money in the Trust
Account to be invested through the Surplus Money Investment
Fund of the State, and for the interest to accrue to the Trust
Fund. Further requires that DFW transfer $29.25 from the
Lifetime License Trust Account to the Fish and Game
Preservation Fund upon issuance of each annual renewal of a
lifetime hunting or fishing license.
6)Makes reduced-fee sport fishing licenses available to low
income seniors for $6.95, and for free to low-income Native
Americans and persons who are blind, developmentally disabled,
or mobility impaired. Also makes free motor vehicle hunting
licenses available to any mobility impaired disabled hunter
who must use a motor vehicle to pursue game, and is either
permanently or fully confined to a wheel chair, is an amputee,
or depends on the aid of a walker or crutches to walk.
7)Requires the purchase of certain sport fishing report cards,
AB 1844
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validations, or entitlements, in addition to a sport fishing
license, to fish for certain species of fish or in certain
locations. Examples of sport fishing report cards include a
sport fishing ocean enhancement stamp, a steelhead trout
report card, a second rod sport fishing validation, and a
salmon punch card.
FISCAL EFFECT: According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee:
Unknown significant revenue loss to DFW from discount sales of
hunting and fishing licenses (Fish and Game Preservation Fund,
and Lifetime License Trust Account).
According to the Department of Veteran Affairs, there are
approximately 1.8 million Veterans living in California, with
331,645 receiving monthly disability compensation as of 2014.
This bill increases eligibility from a universe of approximately
331,600 to 1.8 million Veterans.
COMMENTS: This bill as amended would require the DFW to offer
lifetime hunting or fishing licenses for a 25% reduced fee to a
person who is a Veteran of the Armed Forces of the United States
and who was honorably discharged. Currently, Veterans with a
50% or greater service-connected disability are eligible to
purchase reduced-fee annual fishing and hunting licenses, but
such a discount is not provided for disabled Veterans for
purchase of a lifetime hunting or fishing license. This bill
would require DFW to offer a 25% discount for purchase of a
lifetime hunting or fishing license to any Veteran who has been
honorably discharged, whether or not they have a
service-connected disability.
AB 1844
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To fish or hunt in California, an adult must either purchase an
annual fishing or hunting license, or have purchased a lifetime
hunting or fishing license. Annual fishing and hunting license
fees for resident adults are currently $47.01. A disabled
Veteran may obtain an annual hunting or fishing license for a
reduced fee of $6.95.
Current fees for a lifetime hunting or fishing license range
from $517 to $844.50, depending on the age of the applicant.
This bill would require DFW to offer a 25% discount on these
fees for any Veteran who was honorably discharged.
The author of this bill seeks to give Veterans more access to
outdoor recreation opportunities in California by providing
discounted hunting and fishing license fees to all Veterans.
This bill, prior to the amendments taken in the Assembly
Appropriations Committee, was much broader and would have
required discounted annual fishing and hunting licenses and
other required sport cards, in addition to lifetime licenses, to
be provided at a discount to all Veterans. As amended, the new
discount would only apply to purchase of lifetime licenses.
The author intends with this bill to give more access to hunting
and fishing opportunities to California Veterans and anticipates
that increasing access will expand participation in hunting and
fishing by Veterans, their families, and friends. This expanded
participation should introduce more people to sport fishing and
hunting and could lead to increased sales of licenses in future
years. The author acknowledges that one concern with this bill
may be its potential fiscal effects on the DFW. However, the
author asserts that the decrease in revenue from Veterans'
purchases of discounted fishing and hunting licenses should be
made up through an increased sales volume.
AB 1844
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This bill, by offering discounted lifetime licenses to an
expanded pool of applicants could potentially lead to a deficit
in the Lifetime License Trust Account if fees collected for
lifetime fishing or hunting licenses are insufficient to cover
the costs of those licenses. However, prior language in this
bill that would have prohibited DFW from increasing other
license fees in order to make up for any potential loss of
revenue from sales of discounted licenses to Veterans was
removed.
Supporters assert this bill will reward American Veterans who
have defended our freedom with honor, and assist them with
rehabilitation by providing access to recreation for them and
their families.
Analysis Prepared by:
Diane Colborn / W., P., & W. / (916) 319-2096
FN:
0003311