BILL ANALYSIS �
Senate Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary
Senator Kevin de Le�n, Chair
SB 987 (Monning) - California Sea Otter Fund: Department of Fish
and Wildlife: State Coastal Conservancy.
Amended: April 3, 2014 Policy Vote: NR&W 8-1
Urgency: No Mandate: No
Hearing Date: May 5, 2014 Consultant: Marie Liu
This bill does not meet the criteria for referral to the
Suspense File.
Bill Summary: SB 987 would require the Department of Fish and
Wildlife (DFW) and the State Coastal Conservancy (conservancy)
to conduct public outreach to encourage voluntary contributions
to the California Sea Otter Fund (fund).
Fiscal Impact: Cost pressures of approximately $20,000 annually
to the California Sea Otter Fund (special) and potentially to
other special funds and the General Fund to DFW and SCC to
conduct public outreach activities to encourage participation in
the sea otter tax check-off.
Background: Existing state law allows taxpayers to contribute
money to voluntary contribution funds by checking a box on their
state income tax return. AB 2485 (Jones) Chapter 296, Statutes
of 2006 established the California Sea Otter Fund which is
funded by such a tax check-off. AB 971 (Monning) Chapter 209,
Statutes of 2011 extended the sea otter tax check-off until
2016.
Half of the revenues raised, less the Franchise Tax Board's
collection costs, are allocated to the DFW for increased
investigation, prevention, and enforcement actions. The other
half is allocated to the conservancy for competitive grants and
contracts for research, science, protection, projects, or
programs related to the Federal Sea Otter Recovery Plan or
improving the nearshore ocean ecosystem.
In 2013, the fund received $307,544 in tax check-off
contributions.
Proposed Law: This bill would specify that DFW's expenditures
SB 987 (Monning)
Page 1
for enforcement actions from the fund must be related to sea
otter mortality.
This bill would also require DFW and the conservancy to conduct
public outreach to encourage taxpayers to make contributions
through the tax check-off program.
Staff Comments: This bill requires both DFW and the conservancy
to conduct public outreach to encourage participation in the sea
otter tax check-off program. Both agencies would be authorized
to use the California Sea Otter Fund for this purpose. Staff
notes that the requirement for DFW and the conservancy to
conduct public outreach would not sunset along with the tax
check off in 2016, nor would the agencies be restricted from
using other funds for the public outreach, potentially putting
cost pressures on other DFW and conservancy funds for these
activities. Staff notes that it is the author's intent that only
the California Sea Otter Fund be used for ou
treach. (see recommended amendments).
Recommended Amendments:
1. Delete Section 1 and 2, inclusively.
2. On page 3, on line 22 delete "the" and lines 23-24,
inclusively and insert:
public outreach activities that encourage taxpayers to
make contributions by voluntary check-off to the
California Sea Otter Fund.
3. On page 3, delete lines 32-33, inclusively and insert:
for public outreach activities that encourage
taxpayers to make contributions by voluntary check-off
to the California Sea Otter Fund. The