BILL ANALYSIS �
SB 987
Page 1
SENATE THIRD READING
SB 987 (Monning)
As Amended May 12, 2014
Majority vote
SENATE VOTE :27-9
WATER, PARKS & WILDLIFE 12-0 REVENUE &
TAXATION 7-0
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|Ayes:|Rendon, Allen, Bocanegra, |Ayes:|Bocanegra, Harkey, |
| |Dahle, Fong, Frazier, | |Gordon, Bloom, Dahle, |
| |Gatto, Gomez, Gonzalez, | |Pan, V. Manuel P�rez |
| |Bloom, Patterson, | | |
| |Rodriguez | | |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
| | | | |
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APPROPRIATIONS 17-0
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|Ayes:|Gatto, Bigelow, |
| |Bocanegra, Bradford, Ian |
| |Calderon, Campos, |
| |Donnelly, Eggman, Gomez, |
| |Holden, Jones, Linder, |
| |Pan, Quirk, |
| |Ridley-Thomas, Wagner, |
| |Weber |
|-----+--------------------------|
| | |
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SUMMARY : Authorizes the Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW)
and the State Coastal Conservancy (SCC) to use a portion of the
funds these entities receive from the California Sea Otter Fund
from tax check-off contributions to publicize information about
the Fund. Specifically, this bill :
1)Authorizes the portion of the funds received by DFW from the
California Sea Otter Fund from tax check-off contributions to
be used for sea otter conservation, including but not limited
to, for increased investigation, prevention, and enforcement
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actions related to sea otter mortality.
2)Authorizes DFW to use a portion of the funds received for
public outreach activities that encourage taxpayers to make
contributions by voluntary check-off on a tax return to the
California Sea Otter Fund. Similarly authorizes the SCC to
use a portion of the funds it receives from the California Sea
Otter Fund for public outreach activities that encourage
taxpayers to make contributions by voluntary check-off on a
tax return to the California Sea Otter Fund.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Authorizes a taxpayer to designate on their state tax return
that a contribution in excess of tax liability, if any, be
made to the California Sea Otter Fund, as a voluntary
check-off.
2)Creates the California Sea Otter Fund to receive contributions
made by taxpayers to the Fund through voluntary check-off on
tax returns.
3)Requires that 50% of the revenues received from voluntary
contributions to the California Sea Otter Fund, after
reimbursement of the Franchise Tax Board (FTB) and State
Controller's costs, be allocated to the DFW for the purposes
of establishing a sea otter fund to be used within DFW's
indexed coding system for increased investigation, prevention
and enforcement actions.
4)Requires the other 50%, after reimbursement of the FTB and
State Controller's costs, be allocated to the SCC for
competitive grants and contracts to public agencies and
nonprofit organizations for research, science, protection,
projects, or programs related to the federal Sea Otter
Recovery Plan, or for improving the near-shore ocean
ecosystem, including, but not limited to, program activities
to reduce sea otter mortality, and projects to address
pathogens and water and wastewater treatment technologies.
5)Provides that these provisions shall sunset effective January
1, 2016.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Assembly Appropriations
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Committee, potential minor cost pressures of less than $50,000
annually to the California Sea Otter Fund for DFW and SCC to
conduct public outreach activities.
COMMENTS : The California Sea Otter Fund was created in 2006 and
is funded through a voluntary taxpayer check-off on state tax
returns. Between 2007 and 2013, more than $2 million was
contributed by California taxpayers through the tax return
check-off. In 2013, taxpayers contributed $307,544 to the
California Sea Otter Fund. To date the California Sea Otter
Fund has supported the advancement of a long-term study on sea
otter health, including chemical and pathogen pollution, and has
supported other projects benefitting sea otter conservation.
The author indicates this bill is needed to make it explicitly
clear that the DFW and SCC can use a portion of the moneys they
receive from the California Sea Otter Fund to publicize the
California Sea Otter Fund and encourage taxpayers to make
voluntary contributions to the California Sea Otter Fund through
a tax check-off. This bill also clarifies that DFW's
expenditures from the fund must be related to sea otter
conservation and sea otter mortality.
Sea otters are listed as a threatened species under the federal
endangered species act, and are a fully protected species under
the California Fish and Game Code. Populations of sea otters
significantly declined in the early 1900s due to hunting. Today
there are less than 3,000 sea otters along the state's coastline
and the population continues to decline. Scientists at the DFW
indicate that 50% to 60% percent of southern sea otter deaths
are the result of diseases, parasites and toxicants. Many of
these have land-sea connections and can be seen as forms of, or
the result of, pollution. The specific causes of sea otter
mortality have links to terrestrial sources and are forms of
pollution and habitat degradation. Most are the result of
non-point source pollution, but some point sources are being
discovered. One known source is a parasitic disease carried in
the feces of cats. All sea otters that die in California are
examined at the DFW Marine Wildlife Center in Santa Cruz, a DFW
Office of Spill Prevention and Response facility. This work is
supported variously by the Sea Otter tax check-off, SCC, United
States Fish and Wildlife Service, and other funding sources.
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Analysis Prepared by : Diane Colborn / W., P. & W. / (916)
319-2096
FN: 0004428