BILL ANALYSIS
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SB 1179|
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THIRD READING
Bill No: SB 1179
Author: Hollingsworth (R)
Amended: 6/1/10
Vote: 21
SENATE NATURAL RES. & WATER COMMITTEE : 6-3, 4/13/10
AYES: Cogdill, Hollingsworth, Huff, Padilla, Simitian,
Wolk
NOES: Pavley, Kehoe, Lowenthal
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : 10-0, 5/27/10
AYES: Kehoe, Alquist, Corbett, Denham, Leno, Price,
Walters, Wolk, Wyland, Yee
NO VOTE RECORDED: Cox
SUBJECT : Free hunting days
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This bill establishes two free hunting days per
year, on which any California resident may hunt in the
state without a hunting license.
ANALYSIS : Under existing law, a person must posses a
valid hunting license to take birds and mammals in
California. Additionally, under 3050, in order to receive
a hunting license, a person must complete a course in
hunter education, principles of conservation, and
sportsmanship or have had a hunting license in the past.
Hunter education courses are offered by the Department of
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Fish and Game (DFG) and cover firearms safety and handling,
sportsmanship and ethics, wildlife management and
conservation, archery, black powder, wildlife
identification, game care, first aid, and survival. Courses
are a minimum of ten hours. DFG must offer the course for
free, although DFG may charge a teaching-materials fee.
Existing law requires a person to obtain a valid sport
fishing license to take any fish, reptile, or amphibia in
the state. The director of DFG, notwithstanding this
requirement, may designate up to two days a year as free
sport fishing days during which residents and nonresidents
may fish without holding a sport fishing license, but are
still subject to all the limitations, restrictions,
conditions, laws, rules, and regulations applicable to
sports fishing.
This bill:
1.Requires the Fish and Game Commission to establish two
free hunting days per year. On those days, any California
resident is eligible to hunt without a hunting license,
provided that the unlicensed hunter is accompanied by a
licensed hunter who is over 18 years of age and has had a
hunting license for three years.
2.Authorizes DFG to required that unlicensed hunters
demonstrate that they are capable safely operating a
firearm.
3.Authorizes federally licensed firearm dealers, their
employees, certified hunter education instructors, and
licensed hunters who have had a license for three
consecutive years to certify that an unlicensed hunter is
capable of safely operating a firearm.
4.Allows DFG to prohibit unlicensed hunters from taking
species that require a tag granted by lottery or draw or
species that also require a federal tag to take.
Comments
Free fish days simply allow individuals to fish without
purchasing a license. Free hunting days, as proposed by
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this bill, allows individuals to not only hunt without a
license but also to forgo a hunter education. The
Legislature enacted hunting education requirements in order
to ensure the health and safety of hunters and to reflect
the Legislature's intent that hunters be aware of their
responsibilities "to others, towards wildlife, and toward
their natural environment." According to the Fish and Game
website, hunting accidents of all types have declined
substantially with the education requirement. However, the
courses offered by DFG go further than firearm safety by
also teaching topics including wildlife management and
conservation, wildlife identification, game care, and first
aid. The committee may wish to consider whether it is
desirable to allow an individual to hunt without receiving
a more comprehensive hunting education course.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
According to the Senate Appropriations Committee:
Fiscal Impact (in thousands)
Major Provisions 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13
Fund
Increased enforcement Up to $130 per year
Special *
Reduced license and tagUnknown, likely more than $180 per
year Special *
revenues
SUPPORT : (unable to verify at time of writing)
California Association of Firearms Retailers
California Sportsman's Lobby, Inc.
National Rifle Association of America
National Shooting Sports Foundation, Inc.
Outdoor Sportsmen's Coalition of California
Safari Club International
Sierra Club
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : According to the author's office,
"SB 1179 hopes to introduce more people to the sport of
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hunting. Not only is hunting a time-honored outdoor
activity which has deep roots in our nation's culture, but
it is also an activity which generates a great deal of
commerce and sales tax revenue. Hunters purchase gas,
food, clothing, supplies, and lodging accommodations,
pumping millions of critical dollars into local economies.
This is especially true in the depressed rural areas of our
state where job opportunities are often limited, but good
hunting areas are in ample supply." The author also
submitted statistics to the committee from the National
Shooting Sports Foundation that demonstrate that accidental
firearms fatalities are at an all time low, the injury rate
of hunting compared to other recreation, and the impact of
the firearms industry on California's economy.
CTW:nl 6/1/10 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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