SB 1078 Senate Bill - INTRODUCED

BILL NUMBER: SB 1078	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Senator Evans

                        FEBRUARY 14, 2012

   An act to add Section 6216.8 to, and to add and repeal Section
5080.46 of, the Public Resources Code, relating to state lands.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SB 1078, as introduced, Evans. State lands: delinquent rent
program: state park revenue generation program.
   Existing law requires the State Lands Commission in the Natural
Resources Agency to take various actions with regard to the
administration and control of, including the management and lease of,
state lands.
   This bill would require the commission, no later than April 30,
2013, to develop and implement a plan to collect delinquent rents and
renegotiate expired and undervalued leases for state land and
properties under the commission's control. The bill would provide for
the loan of $1,000,000 from the General Fund to be made available to
the commission, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to develop
and implement the plan, including the hiring of necessary new staff.
   The bill would require that any revenues received by the
commission from the collection of delinquent rents and the
renegotiation of expired and undervalued leases for state lands be
deposited into the Delinquent Rent Collection Program Account in the
General Fund, which the bill would create. The bill would require
that all revenues received by the commission from the collection of
delinquent rents and the renegotiation of expired and undervalued
leases for state lands and property be made available, upon
appropriation by the Legislature, to repay the above-described loan
to the commission to develop and implement the plan, and for
allocation to the Department of Parks and Recreation, in specified
amounts, for specified purposes relating to the study and
implementation of park revenue increase studies and revenue
generating programs, as prescribed.
   The bill would require the department, until January 1, 2016, to
develop and implement a pilot program intended to increase existing
revenues and develop new sources of income at individual units of the
state park system, as prescribed. The bill would require the
department, not later than December 31, 2015, to report to the
Legislature on the effectiveness of the pilot program required to be
developed and implemented pursuant to those provisions.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  Section 5080.46 is added to the Public Resources Code,
to read:
   5080.46.  (a) The department shall develop and implement a pilot
program intended to increase existing revenues, and develop new
sources of income at individual units of the state park system. The
pilot program is intended to accomplish the following:
   (1) Develop ways to allow the department to keep a defined amount
of the revenues generated by a particular unit of the state park
system, regardless of whether the unit is operated by the department,
or pursuant to an agreement with a nonprofit organization, or other
entity, for use solely for the operation of that unit of the park
system for the purpose of using the moneys to develop ways to
increase revenues at that unit of the state park system.
   (2) Implement a plan to generate new sources of revenue at
individual units of the state park system intended to ensure there
are sufficient revenues for the continued operation of that unit of
the state park system.
   (b) No later than December 31, 2015, the department shall report
to the Legislature on the effectiveness of the pilot program
developed and implemented pursuant to this section in increasing
existing revenues and generating new sources of revenues at
individual units of the state park system.
   (c) This section shall remain in effect until January 1, 2016, and
as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that is
enacted before January 1, 2016, deletes or extends that date.
  SEC. 2.  Section 6216.8 is added to the Public Resources Code, to
read:
   6216.8.  (a) The commission shall, no later than April 30, 2013,
develop and implement a plan to collect delinquent rents and
renegotiate expired and undervalued leases for state land and
properties under the commission's control. The sum of one million
dollars ($1,000,000) shall be made available to the commission, upon
appropriation by the Legislature, as a loan from the General Fund to
carry out the purposes of this section, including the hiring of
staff.
   (b) All revenues received by the commission from the collection of
delinquent rents and the renegotiation of expired and undervalued
leases for state lands and property shall be deposited into the
Delinquent Rent Collection Program Account in the General Fund, which
is hereby created. Moneys in the fund may be expended, upon
appropriation by the Legislature, in accordance with the following
schedule:
   (1) The sum of one million dollars ($1,000,000) shall be
allocated, before any other items in this schedule, to repay the loan
for the startup cost of the program, as prescribed in subdivision
(a).
   (2) (A) The sum of one million dollars ($1,000,000) shall be
allocated to the Department of Parks and Recreation to study ways to
increase park revenues to prevent state park closures and ensure the
preservation of existing parks. The study shall evaluate and consider
all of the following:
   (i) The feasibility of lowering the cost of annual park passes
that can be used in specific regions of the state, along with the
study of regional passes that are part of cooperative ventures with
county parks departments.
   (ii) The feasibility of issuing park passes that provide extra
value such as coupons for recreational goods and services.
   (iii) The creation of voluntary tax check off options to be used
to purchase state park passes.
   (iv) The implementation of a plan to initiate concessionaire
contracts that will increase state revenues.
   (v) The cost-effectiveness of entering into agreements with park
and nonprofit organizations for the operation of concessions at state
parks.
   (B) If there are insufficient funds collected pursuant to
subdivision (a) to complete all the elements of the study required
pursuant to this paragraph, the funds collected shall be used to
maintain and keep parks open in the regions of the state that are
most affected by state park closures.
   (3) The sum of one million five hundred thousand dollars
($1,500,000) and any moneys remaining from the allocation prescribed
in paragraph (2) shall be allocated to the Department of Parks and
Recreation to implement new state park revenue generating programs.
If insufficient funds are collected pursuant to subdivision (a) for
the purposes of this paragraph, the amount of funds collected shall
be used to keep state historical parks open.
   (c) Subdivision (a) does not apply to delinquent rents collected
on leases for school land or property.