BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



          SENATE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                             Senator Ricardo Lara, Chair
                            2015 - 2016  Regular  Session

          AB 1844 (Gallagher) - Hunting and fishing licenses:  reduced  
          license fees:  veterans
          
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          |Version: May 27, 2016           |Policy Vote: N.R. & W. 8 - 0    |
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          |Urgency: No                     |Mandate: No                     |
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          |Hearing Date: August 1, 2016    |Consultant: Narisha Bonakdar    |
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          This bill meets the criteria for referral to the Suspense File.


          Bill  
          Summary:  AB 1844 requires the California Department of Fish and  
          Wildlife (CDFW) to reduce the lifetime sportsman's, lifetime  
          hunting, and lifetime fishing license fees by 25 percent for  
          honorably discharged veterans. 


          Fiscal  
          Impact:  Unknown, but significant revenue loss to CDFW 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, as of 2014,  
          approximately 1.8 million Veterans reside in California, with  
          331,645 receiving monthly disability compensation (and therefore  
          already eligible for discounted licenses).  This bill increases  
          eligibility by approximately 1.5 million (from 331,600 to 1.8  
          million Veterans). 

          As an example, a lifetime hunting or fishing license currently  







          AB 1844 (Gallagher)                                    Page 1 of  
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          costs at least $517 (and up to up to $844). Under this bill, the  
          lowest cost lifetime license would be discounted by $129 (up to  
          $388). If only a quarter of a percent (.25 percent) of eligible  
          California Veterans purchase a discounted lifetime license, the  
          associated revenue loss would equal $474,462.   

          Background: The CDFW manages California's fish, wildlife, and  
          plant resources.  It also regulates hunting and sport fishing  
          within the state.  Each year, the Fish and Game Commission sets  
          license fees and take restrictions, as well as other regulations  
          that the CDFW implements and enforces.  California law requires  
          that most licenses and other CDFW program fees are set at a  
          level sufficient to cover administrative costs.

          Under current law, an individual must obtain a hunting license  
          prior to taking any bird or mammal, and a fishing license prior  
          to taking any fish, reptiles, or amphibians.  In many cases,  
          additional tags, validations, or enhancements are required to  
          take certain species or from certain areas. 

          Fish and wildlife offers a variety of different types of hunting  
          and fishing licenses, including a lifetime license option. The  
          cost of a lifetime license depends on the applicant's age.  
          Currently, the cost for a lifetime hunting or fishing license is  
          $517.00 for persons 9 years or younger, $844.50 for persons 10  
          to 39 years old; $761.00 for persons 40 to 61 years old; and  
          $517.00 for persons 62 years old or older.

          Certain groups are eligible for free or a reduced fee annual  
          hunting and sport fishing licenses.  Low income senior citizens,  
          veterans with a 50 percent or greater service-connected  
          disability, and recovering service members, as defined, are  
          eligible for a reduced fee fishing license ($6.95). Free sport  
          fishing licenses are provided to low-income Native Americans and  
          mobility impaired, blind, or developmentally disabled  
          individuals. Reduced fee hunting licenses are available to  
          hunters under age 18 ($12.45), veterans with a 50 percent or  
          greater service-connected disability ($6.95), and recovering  
          service members ($6.95).




          Proposed Law:  








          AB 1844 (Gallagher)                                    Page 2 of  
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                                                                 This bill:

          1)Requires CDFW to reduce the lifetime sportsman's license fee  
            by 25 percent for honorably discharged veterans.
          2)Requires CDFW to reduce the lifetime hunting license fee by 25  
            percent for honorably discharged veterans.
          3)Requires CDFW to reduce the lifetime sport fishing license fee  
            by 25 percent for honorably discharged veterans.


          Related  
          Legislation:  AB 1972 (Chau) expands the population of veterans  
          eligible for the Distinguished Veterans Parks Pass to include  
          all veterans with 50 percent or greater service disability, not  
          just those who served in times of war. AB 1972 is pending in  
          this committee.


          Staff  
          Comments:1)  
          
          This bill provides unique benefits to one population over others  
          that might be equally in need or deserving of these benefits.  
          This disparate treatment creates pressure to provide similar  
          benefits to additional populations to resolve the disparity. It  
          may also create pressure to expand the benefits offered to this  
          population. As such, staff notes that this bill may result in  
          significant cost pressures on state resources in addition to the  
          costs outlined in the fiscal impact statement.  



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