BILL ANALYSIS �
SB 470
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Date of Hearing: June 24, 2011
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON WATER, PARKS AND WILDLIFE
Jared Huffman, Chair
SB 470 (Evans) - As Amended: May 31, 2011
SENATE VOTE : 32-6
SUBJECT : Salmon Stamp
SUMMARY : Extends for two years the existing requirement for
all persons taking salmon for commercial purposes to purchase a
commercial fishing salmon stamp. Specifically, this bill :
1)Extends the sunset clause on the requirement for purchase of a
commercial fishing salmon stamp to January 1, 2014. The
requirement otherwise will sunset the end of this year.
2)Deletes the continuous appropriation of funds in the
Commercial Salmon Stamp Account (Account) and instead makes
the money in the Account available to the Department of Fish
and Game (DFG) upon appropriation by the Legislature.
3)Requires DFG to post on its Internet Web site information
about projects funded with funds from the Account.
4)Prohibits more than 15% of the funds in the Account from being
used for administration costs.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Prohibits any person over 18 years of age from taking salmon
for commercial purposes, or being on board a commercial salmon
fishing vessel, unless the person has a commercial fishing
salmon stamp affixed to their commercial fishing license.
2)Requires DFG to issue a commercial fishing salmon stamp after
application and payment of a specified fee, which varies by
statute from $85 to $260, depending on the amount of
commercial landings of salmon the prior season.
3)Requires DFG, after deducting administrative costs, to deposit
the fees from sale of commercial fishing salmon stamps into
the Commercial Salmon Stamp Account (Account) in the Fish and
Game Preservation Fund. The money in the Account is
SB 470
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continuously appropriated to DFG for new or expanded salmon
restoration and enhancement programs that increase ocean
salmon landings.
4)Prohibits expenditure of more than 3.3% of annual expenditures
from the Account from being used for administrative overhead
costs.
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1)Requires $30 of the salmon stamp fee to be used for the
hatchery production of chinook salmon that are to be released
into state waters. Requires DFG to match the stamp monies
used for the hatcheries with non-stamp funds.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Senate Appropriations
Committee analysis, estimated increased revenues of between
$200,000 and $500,000 annually, up to 15% of which may be used
for administrative costs, with $170,000 to $425,000 available
for salmon restoration and hatchery operations.
COMMENTS : Current law requires purchase of a commercial salmon
stamp to fish for salmon commercially. The stamp requirement
was put into law with support of commercial salmon fishermen who
recognized the need for conservation and management of the
resource and were willing to, in essence, charge themselves to
provide a source of supplemental funding for that purpose. The
stamp fees are used for salmon restoration and enhancement
programs. The fee for the stamp varies from a minimum of $85 to
as high as $260, depending on the volume of landings the prior
season. The 2011-12 commercial salmon stamp cost $87.55 which
reflects the poor level of last year's commercial salmon season.
This bill extends operation of the salmon stamp requirement,
which will otherwise sunset on January 1, 2012, for two years to
January 1, 2014, and also makes two other changes. The first
change deletes the continuous appropriation and the second
raises the ceiling on the percentage of expenditures from the
fund which may go to administrative costs from 3.3% to 15%.
Both of these amendments were taken in the Senate Appropriations
Committee. In recent years, due to the decline in salmon runs,
revenues into the Account have been only about $50,000 per year.
The Senate Appropriations Committee analysis estimates that if
harvests return to more normal levels, the revenues in the fund
could grow to between $200,000 and $500,000 per year, with
actual administrative costs likely to exceed the 3.3%
administrative cap.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations
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Opposition
None on file.
Analysis Prepared by : Diane Colborn / W., P. & W. / (916)
319-2096