Today's Law As Amended


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AB-2402 Department of Fish and Game: Fish and Game Commission.(2011-2012)



As Amends the Law Today


SECTION 1.
 The Legislature finds and declares the following:
(a) In 2010, the Legislature passed and the Governor signed Assembly Bill 2376 (Ch. 424, Stats. 2010), which established a process to develop a strategic vision for the Department of Fish and Game and the Fish and Game Commission.
(b) Pursuant to Assembly Bill 2376, the Natural Resources Agency appointed an executive committee, a blue ribbon commission, and a broad-based stakeholder group, and established a public process that is focused on improving and enhancing the capacity of both the Department of Fish and Game and the Fish and Game Commission to protect and manage California’s fish and wildlife.
(c) All groups and individuals with an interest in improving the work of the department and the commission have been invited to participate in the stakeholder group process. Numerous public meetings have been held and extensive information on the process and the comments received to date are available on the Internet Web site of the Department of Fish and Game. The process is still underway and a final report is due to the Legislature by June 2012.
(d) The policy chairs of the committees of the Legislature with subject matter jurisdiction shall consider proposed legislation to address many of the draft recommendations of the California Fish and Wildlife Strategic Vision and other reforms necessary to satisfy the mandate of Assembly Bill 2376. Some of the content of the proposed legislation reflects suggestions contained in the draft interim strategic vision report released by the department and the commission on November 22, 2011. The proposed legislation may be amended from time to time to reflect additional recommendations as the stakeholder and blue ribbon commission process and final reports of the executive committee are completed.
SEC. 2.
 It is the intent of the Legislature that investments in habitat protection and restoration made as part of compensatory mitigation to retain and enhance biological values for listed species are perpetual and supported with long-term management. To extend the conservation benefits derived from these investments to public lands, it is the further intent of the Legislature that the department work with the federal Bureau of Land Management and interested stakeholders to develop a viable solution that will ensure durable mitigation and protection of mitigation lands on federal lands in perpetuity.

SEC. 3.

 Section 13.5 is added to the Fish and Game Code, to read:

13.5.
 “Adaptive management,” unless otherwise specified in this code, means management that improves the management of biological resources over time by using new information gathered through monitoring, evaluation, and other credible sources as they become available, and adjusts management strategies and practices to assist in meeting conservation and management goals. Under adaptive management, program actions are viewed as tools for learning to inform future actions.

SEC. 4.

 Section 33 is added to the Fish and Game Code, to read:

33.
 “Credible science” means the best available scientific information that is not overly prescriptive due to the dynamic nature of science, and includes the evaluation principles of relevance, inclusiveness, objectivity, transparency, timeliness, verification, validation, and peer review of information as appropriate. Credible science also recognizes the need for adaptive management, as defined in Section 13.5, as scientific knowledge evolves.

SEC. 5.

 Section 37 of the Fish and Game Code is amended to read:

37.
 “Department” means the Department of Fish and Wildlife.

SEC. 6.

 Section 39 of the Fish and Game Code is amended to read:

39.
 “Director” means the Director of Fish and Wildlife.

SEC. 7.

 Section 43 is added to the Fish and Game Code, to read:

43.
 “Ecosystem-based management” means an environmental management approach relying on credible science, as defined in Section 33, that recognizes the full array of interactions within an ecosystem, including humans, rather than considering single issues, species, or ecosystem services in isolation.

SEC. 8.

 Section 700 of the Fish and Game Code is amended to read:

700.
 (a) There is in the Natural Resources Agency a Department of Fish and Wildlife administered through the director.
(b) The Department of Fish and Wildlife shall succeed to, and is vested with, all the duties, powers, purposes, responsibilities, property, and jurisdiction previously vested in the Department of Fish and Game.
(c) Whenever the term “Department of Fish and Game” appears in a law, the term means the “Department of Fish and Wildlife.”
(d) No existing supplies, forms, insignias, signs, logos, uniforms, or emblems shall be destroyed or changed as a result of changing the name of the Department of Fish and Game to the Department of Fish and Wildlife, and those materials shall continue to be used until exhausted or unserviceable.

SEC. 9.

 Section 702.1 is added to the Fish and Game Code, to read:

702.1.
 (a) The department, on or before January 1, 2016, shall prepare and submit to the relevant policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature a feasibility study report on an electronic system to manage citations issued by fish and game wardens, exchange information on citations with the courts, and transfer data on court dispositions to the Automated License Data System.
(b) (1) Pursuant to Section 10231.5 of the Government Code, the requirement for submitting a report pursuant to subdivision (a) shall become inoperative on January 1, 2017.
(2) A report to be submitted pursuant to subdivision (a) shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.

SEC. 10.

 Section 703.3 is added to the Fish and Game Code, to read:

703.3.
 It is the policy of the state that the department and commission use ecosystem-based management informed by credible science in all resource management decisions to the extent feasible. It is further the policy of the state that scientific professionals at the department and commission, and all resource management decisions of the department and commission, be governed by a scientific quality assurance and integrity policy, and follow well-established standard protocols of the scientific profession, including, but not limited to, the use of peer review, publication, and science review panels where appropriate. Resource management decisions of the department and commission should also incorporate adaptive management to the extent possible.

SEC. 11.

 Section 703.5 is added to the Fish and Game Code, to read:

703.5.
 It is the policy of the state as follows:
(a) That the department and the commission seek to create, foster, and actively participate in effective partnerships and collaborations with other agencies and stakeholders to achieve shared goals and to better integrate fish and wildlife resource conservation and management with the natural resource management responsibilities of other agencies.
(b) That the department and commission participate in interagency coordination processes that facilitate consistency and efficiency in review of projects requiring multiple permits, including, but not necessarily limited to, joint state, federal, and local permit review teams that enable early consultation with project applicants, and provide improved sharing of data, information, tools, and science to achieve better alignment of planning, policies, and regulations across agencies.

SEC. 12.

 Section 715 is added to the Fish and Game Code, to read:

715.
 (a) The director, in consultation with the Natural Resources Agency, shall establish a formal program, which may be called the Science Institute, to assist the department and commission in obtaining independent scientific review, and recommendations to help inform the scientific work of the department and the commission. The program shall include one or more ad hoc independent scientific committees consisting of independent scientists who are scientific experts in their fields with expertise in biological sciences and with a range of multidisciplinary expertise pertinent to the work of the department and the commission, and which may be convened pursuant to this section. The purpose of the program shall be to assist the department and the commission in obtaining and establishing an independent and objective view of the scientific issues underlying important policy decisions.
(b) The objectives of the program shall include, but not necessarily be limited to, the following:
(1) Providing independent scientific guidance of the scientific research, monitoring, and assessment programs that support the department’s and the commission’s work with fish and wildlife species and their habitats.
(2) Providing the best available independent scientific information and advice to guide and inform department and commission decisions.
(3) Promoting and facilitating independent scientific peer review.
(4) Promoting science-based adaptive management.
(5) Ensuring scientific integrity and transparency in decisionmaking.
(c) The department may consult with members of the ad hoc scientific committees to assist the department in identifying other independent scientific experts with specialized expertise as needed for independent peer review of department reports, including, but not limited to, status review reports prepared for purposes of informing decisions on petitions for listing of species under the California Endangered Species Act (Chapter 1.5 (commencing with Section 2050) of Division 3).
(d) The department shall consult with independent scientific advisors to develop and revise as necessary a scientific integrity policy to guide the work of the department and the commission. The scientific integrity policy may include, but is not necessarily limited to, an ethical code of conduct for department scientists, standards for independent peer review, and other best practices for ensuring scientific integrity and public confidence in department and commission work products and decisions.
(e) For marine fisheries and other marine resources, the department may utilize the California Ocean Science Trust for the purposes of this section.

SEC. 13.

 Section 1002 of the Fish and Game Code is amended to read:

1002.
 (a) The department may issue permits, subject to restrictions and regulations that the department determines are desirable, to take or possess, in any part of the state, for scientific, educational, or propagation purposes, mammals, birds and the nests and eggs thereof, fish, amphibians, reptiles, or any other form of plant or animal life.
(b) The department may issue a permit that is valid for 36 months from the date of issuance on the payment of a nonrefundable application fee of one hundred dollars ($100) and a permit fee of three hundred dollars ($300), as adjusted under Section 713.
(c) Notwithstanding subdivision (b), the department may issue a permit without fee that is valid for 12 months from the date of issuance to authorize only the banding of birds and the exhibition of live or dead wildlife specimens by public zoological gardens, scientific, or educational institutions.
(d) (1) The department may issue a special student permit that is valid for 12 months from the date of issuance on the payment of a nonrefundable application fee of twenty-five dollars ($25) and a permit fee of fifty dollars ($50), as adjusted under Section 713, to any student in a school of collegiate level or a commercial fishing class who is required by an instructor to collect specimens used in laboratory work in the school under supervision and in connection with a course in wildlife research or in the conduct of wildlife investigations and studies on behalf of the public.
(2) All fish taken under permit for a commercial fishing class student shall be taken in accordance with state law, except that Sections 7850, 7880, and 7881 do not apply. All fish taken under a permit for a commercial fishing class student may be sold only to a person licensed to receive fish from commercial fishermen as provided in Section 8032 or 8033 or donated to a charitable institution. All funds received from the sale of the fish shall be used solely for the support of commercial fishing classes.
(e) It is not necessary for the holder of the permit to have a sport fishing or hunting license to collect any fish, amphibian, reptile, aquatic animal or plant, bird, or mammal for scientific, educational, or propagation purposes in this state.
(f) Nothing in this section authorizes any act which violates Section 597 of the Penal Code.
(g) A permit under this section does not authorize the taking of fish or mammals from the ocean waters of this state which are within the boundaries of any city if the city has filed with the department an objection to the taking.
(h) The adjustment of the nonrefundable application fee and permit fees pursuant to Section 713 that are specified in subdivisions (b) and (d) shall be applicable to permits issued on or after January 1, 2013.
(i) The department, by regulation, may adjust the amount of the fees specified in subdivisions (b) and (d) as necessary to fully recover, but not exceed, all reasonable administrative and implementation costs of the department relating to those permits.
(j) No permit under this section is required for species listed as threatened or endangered pursuant to the California Endangered Species Act, when an entity holds a valid permit or memorandum of understanding for the subject species and the proposed activities, issued pursuant to Section 2081.
(k) No permit under this section is required for fully protected species listed in Section 3511, 4700, 5050, or 5515 if the entity holds a valid memorandum of understanding issued by the department for the subject species and proposed activities, in accordance with the respective section.
(l) A permit or amendment issued pursuant to Section 1002 is not transferable between individuals or entities.
(m) If a permitholder fails to submit information or reports required in a permit, the department shall revoke an existing permit, and may decline to issue a permit to that person or entity in subsequent years.

SEC. 14.

 Section 1002.5 of the Fish and Game Code is amended to read:

1002.5.
 (a) The department may issue a permit pursuant to Section 1002 to an appropriate public, private, or nonprofit entity, or a person, as determined by the department, in the name of a principal scientific investigator or the permitted entity or person.
(b) The department may approve individual temporary employees or volunteers to work under the permit, after receiving notification from the permittee. The permittee shall have adequate supervision over any temporary employees or volunteers approved to work under the permit.
(c) A permittee that allows a temporary employee or volunteer to work under a permit without approval from the department in accordance with this section is subject to Section 12000.
(d) The department shall charge a fee pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 1002 for the issuance of a permit authorized by this section. If the department determines that the costs to issue a permit authorized by this section are greater than the costs to issue a permit pursuant to Section 1002, the department may charge a permit fee in an amount that is greater than the amount imposed by subdivision (b) of Section 1002 to recover those additional costs.
(e) The department may amend a permit issued under this section, including, but not limited to, the addition or removal of individual temporary employees or volunteers working under the permit, on the payment of a nonrefundable application fee of one hundred dollars ($100), as adjusted under Section 713 or regulations adopted by the department.

SEC. 15.

 Section 1020 is added to the Fish and Game Code, to read:

1020.
 (a) The department and the commission shall develop a strategic plan to implement proposals arising from any of the following:
(1) The strategic vision developed and submitted to the Governor and the Legislature pursuant to Section 12805.3 of the Government Code.
(2) Any legislation enacted relating to the strategic vision process.
(3) The department’s own proposals for reform.
(b) (1) The department and the commission may contract for consultants to assist in the preparation of the strategic plan pursuant to subdivision (a).
(2) Contracts entered into pursuant to paragraph (1) shall terminate no later than December 31, 2015.
(3) Contracts entered into pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be exempt from Part 2 (commencing with Section 10100) of Division 2 of the Public Contract Code.

SEC. 16.

 Article 7 (commencing with Section 1225) is added to Chapter 3 of Division 2 of the Fish and Game Code, to read:

Article  7. Nonprofit Partnerships
1225.
 All moneys collected or received from gifts or bequests, or from municipal or county appropriations or donations for purposes relating to conservation programs, projects, and activities by the department shall be deposited in the State Treasury to the credit of the Fish and Game Preservation Fund. All moneys deposited pursuant to this section shall be used for purposes relating to conservation programs, projects, and activities by the department.
1226.
 (a) The department may enter into one or more agreements to accept funds from any person, nonprofit organization, or other public or private entity for purposes relating to conservation programs, projects, and activities by the department. Any funds received pursuant to this section shall be deposited in the Fish and Game Preservation Fund. The funds received shall supplement existing resources for purposes relating to conservation programs, projects, and activities by the department.
(b) The department may enter into one or more agreements to accept services from any person, nonprofit organization, or other public or private entity for purposes relating to conservation programs, projects, and activities by the department. Under the direction of the department, these services shall supplement existing staff resources. Agreements for services for the management and operation of department-managed lands shall be subject to the provisions of Section 1745.
1227.
 Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the department may enter into one or more agreements with any person, nonprofit organization, or other public or private entity, as may be appropriate, to assist the department in its efforts to secure long-term private funding sources for purposes relating to conservation programs, projects, and activities by the department. The authority to enter into agreements for the purposes of this section shall include, but not be limited to, for the purposes of securing donations, memberships, corporate and individual sponsorships, and marketing and licensing agreements.

SEC. 17.

 Section 2089.4 of the Fish and Game Code is amended to read:

2089.4.
 As used in this article, the following definitions apply:
(a) “Agreement” means a state safe harbor agreement approved by the department pursuant to this article. “Agreement” includes an agreement with an individual landowner and a programmatic agreement.
(b) “Baseline conditions” means the existing estimated population size, the extent and quality of habitat, or both population size and the extent and quality of habitat, for the species on the land to be enrolled in the agreement that sustain seasonal or permanent use by the covered species. Baseline conditions shall be determined by the department, in consultation with the applicant, and shall be based on the best available science and objective scientific methodologies. For purposes of establishing baseline conditions, a qualified person that is not employed by the department may conduct habitat surveys, if that person has appropriate species expertise and has been approved by the department.
(c) “Declining or vulnerable species” include candidate species, species proposed for listing as an endangered or threatened species pursuant to this chapter, or species that the department determines may, in the near future, be candidate species or proposed for listing as an endangered or threatened species pursuant to this chapter.
(d) (c)  “Department” means the Department of Fish and Wildlife, acting through its director or his or her designee.
(e) (d)  “Landowner” means any person or nonstate or federal entity or entities that lawfully hold any interest in land or water to which they are committing to implement the requirements of this article.
(f) (e)  “Management actions” means activities on the enrolled land or water that are reasonably expected by the department to provide a net benefit to the species or their habitat, or both.
(g) (f)  “Monitoring program” means a program established or approved by the department in accordance with subdivision (f) of Section 2089.6.
(h) (g)  “Net conservation benefit” means the cumulative benefits of the management activities identified in the agreement that provide for an increase in a species’ population or the enhancement, restoration, or maintenance of covered species’ suitable habitats within the enrolled property. Net conservation benefit shall take into account the length of the agreement, any offsetting adverse effects attributable to the incidental taking allowed by the agreement, and other mutually agreed upon factors. Net conservation benefits shall be sufficient to contribute either directly or indirectly to the recovery of the covered species. These benefits include, but are not limited to, reducing fragmentation and increasing the connectivity of habitats, maintaining or increasing populations, enhancing and restoring habitats, and buffering protected areas.
(i) (h)  “Programmatic agreement” means a state safe harbor agreement issued to a governmental or nongovernmental program administrator. The program administrator for a programmatic agreement shall work with landowners and the department to implement the agreement. The program administrator and the department shall be responsible for ensuring compliance with the terms of the agreement.
(j) (i)  “Qualified person” means a person with species expertise who has been approved by the department.
(k) (j)  “Return to baseline” means, at the termination of an agreement, activities undertaken by the landowner to return the species population or extent or quality of habitat to baseline, excluding catastrophic events such as floods, unplanned fires, or earthquakes, and other factors mutually agreed upon before  prior to  permit issuance and that are beyond the control of the landowner.

SEC. 18.

 Section 2099 of the Fish and Game Code is amended to read:

2099.
 (a) For purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings:
(1) “Eligible project” means a solar thermal powerplant, photovoltaic powerplant, wind powerplant, or geothermal powerplant meeting the requirements of paragraph (1) or (2) of subdivision (b) of Section 2069 or meeting the definition of a “covered activity” in the final Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan, as approved by the department.
(2) “Energy Commission” means the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission.
(b) (1) The Renewable Energy Resources Development Fee Trust Fund is hereby established in the State Treasury. The department shall collect a fee from the owner or developer of an eligible project that elects to use mitigation actions developed and approved by the department pursuant to Section 2069, and all moneys received for purposes of mitigation actions pursuant to Section 2069 shall be deposited in the fund and shall be held in trust and be expended solely for the purposes of, and in conformity with, that section, applicable permit or certification requirements for eligible projects, and any contractual agreement between the Energy Commission or department and the owner or developer of an eligible project. The department may contract with, or award grants to, third parties to implement mitigation actions in conformity with Section 2069 and this section.
(2) Upon direction by the department, the Controller shall create any accounts or subaccounts within the fund that the department determines are necessary or convenient to facilitate management of the fund.
(3) The fund shall serve, and be managed, as an optional, voluntary method for developers or owners of eligible projects to deposit fees to complete mitigation actions meeting the conditions of subdivision (c) of Section 2069 and for the purpose of meeting the requirements of this chapter or the requirements of Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 25500) of Division 15 of the Public Resources Code by funding mitigation actions implemented by the department or third parties in a contractual relationship with the department. Notwithstanding Section 13340 of the Government Code, the money in the fund is hereby continuously appropriated to the department, without regard to fiscal years, for the purposes enumerated in this section and Section 2069. An expenditure shall not be made from the fund except as authorized by the department.
(4) The sum of ten million dollars ($10,000,000) previously transferred, as a loan, from the Renewable Resource Trust Fund to the fund shall be repaid from the fund to the Renewable Resource Trust Fund no later than December 31, 2013. The department shall use these funds, pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (c) of Section 2069, to purchase mitigation lands or conservation easements, and to cover related restoration, monitoring, and transaction costs incurred in advance of the receipt of fees pursuant to paragraph (5) and to cover the department’s administrative costs for the program.
(5) A developer or owner of an eligible project that elects to use mitigation actions developed and authorized by the department pursuant to Section 2069 shall remit fees to the department for deposit into the fund for those mitigation actions in an amount that reflects the determination by the Energy Commission, with respect to a solar thermal or geothermal powerplant subject to its jurisdiction, or the department, with respect to a renewable energy powerplant not subject to the Energy Commission’s jurisdiction, of the costs attributable to the mitigation actions that meet the standards of this chapter. The amount of fees to be paid by a developer or owner of an eligible project to meet the standards of this chapter shall be calculated on a per acre basis, using total cost accounting, and shall include, as applicable, land acquisition or conservation easement costs, monitoring costs, restoration costs, transaction costs, the amount of a perpetual endowment account for land management or easement stewardship costs by the department or other management entity, and administrative costs and funds sufficient to repay any expenditure of state funds made pursuant to paragraph (4). To ensure the funds deposited pursuant to this section are sufficient to meet the standards of this chapter, the project developer or owner, in addition to payment of those funds, shall provide security, in a form and amount, not to exceed 5 percent of the amount of the funds, excluding any portion of the funds to be used for a perpetual endowment, to be determined by the Energy Commission, with respect to a solar thermal or geothermal powerplant subject to its jurisdiction, or to be determined by the department, with respect to a renewable energy powerplant not subject to the Energy Commission’s jurisdiction.
(c) The department shall monitor the implementation of the mitigation actions and the progress of the construction of the eligible projects. The department shall report all deposits, and the source of those deposits, on its Internet Web site. The department shall also report all expenditures from the fund on its Internet Web site and identify the mitigation activities or programs that each expenditure funded and its relationship to the permitted project. The Energy Commission, with respect to a solar thermal or geothermal powerplant subject to its jurisdiction, and the department, with respect to a renewable energy powerplant not subject to the Energy Commission’s jurisdiction, shall ensure that moneys paid pursuant to this section are used only for purposes of satisfying the standards of paragraph (2) of subdivision (b) of Section 2081. Where moneys are used to fund mitigation actions, including the acquisition of lands or conservation easements, or the restoration of lands, that use shall be in addition to, and not duplicative of, mitigation obtained through any other means.
(d) The department and the Energy Commission shall not allow any use of the interim mitigation strategy subsequent to a determination by the department that the time and extent of mitigation actions are not being implemented in rough proportion to the impacts of those projects. The department shall reinstitute the use of the interim mitigation strategy when the department determines the rough proportionality between mitigation actions and impacts of eligible projects has been reestablished by the completion of additional mitigation actions.

SEC. 19.

 Section 2536 of the Fish and Game Code is amended to read:

2536.
 (a) It is unlawful for any person to engage in the business of guiding or packing, or to act as a guide for any consideration or compensation whatever, without first having secured a guide license from the department.
(b) An employee of a licensee who acts as a guide only in connection with, and within the scope of, his or her employment is exempt from the requirement of subdivision (a) if all of the following conditions are met:
(1) If the employment is subject to and the person is reported to the carrier of the employer’s workers’ compensation insurance.
(2) If the person is subject and reported to the state and federal taxing authorities for withholding of income tax.
(3) If the person is reported to the department, on forms provided by the department, as an employee of the guide prior to any contact with any person being guided, and a registration fee has been paid. The base fee for an employee guide registration for the 2004 license year shall be thirty-three dollars ($33), which shall be adjusted annually thereafter pursuant to Section 713.
(c) A person who is licensed in another state to provide guide services for the purposes of fishing is exempt from the requirements of subdivision (a) if all of the following conditions are met:
(1) The state in which the person is licensed grants a similar exemption to licensed guides who are residents of this state.
(2) Evidence of a valid guide license is provided to the department upon request.
(3) The person is engaged in the business of guiding only in conjunction with and during the term of a multistate fishing tournament approved by the appropriate agency in each of the affected states.
(4) The tournament sponsor provides to the department any information or documents necessary to administer and enforce this paragraph, as determined by the department, including, but not limited to, the identities of all guides participating in the tournament, verification of another state’s license exemption, and information sufficient to determine the validity of another state’s guide licenses.
(5) The tournament sponsor pays the department an amount, determined by the department, to be sufficient to cover the department’s cost to administer and enforce this subdivision.
(6) The net proceeds of the tournament are used for resource management projects or habitat improvement projects, or both.
(d) The commission shall adjust the amount of the fees specified in paragraph (3) of subdivision (b), as necessary, to fully recover, but not exceed, all reasonable administrative and implementation costs of the department and the commission relating to those licenses.

SEC. 20.

 Section 2540 of the Fish and Game Code is amended to read:

2540.
 (a) The base fee for a guide license issued to a resident is one hundred fifty dollars ($150).
(b) The base fee for a guide license issued to a nonresident is three hundred fifty dollars ($350).
(c) A guide license is valid for the license year beginning on February 1 and ending on January 31 of the succeeding year or, if issued after the beginning of the license year, for the remainder of that license year.
(d) The base fees specified in this section are applicable to the 2004 license year, and shall be adjusted annually thereafter pursuant to Section 713.
(e) The commission shall adjust the amount of the fees specified in subdivisions (a), (b), and (d), as necessary, to fully recover, but not exceed, all reasonable administrative and implementation costs of the department and the commission relating to those licenses.

SEC. 21.

 Section 3031.2 of the Fish and Game Code is amended to read:

3031.2.
 (a) In addition to Section  Sections 714 and  3031, and notwithstanding Section 3037, the department shall issue lifetime hunting licenses under this section. A lifetime hunting license authorizes the taking of birds and mammals anywhere in this state in accordance with the law for purposes other than profit for the life of the person to whom issued unless revoked for a violation of this code or regulations adopted under this code. A lifetime hunting license is not transferable. A lifetime hunting license is valid for one year from July 1 through June 30 and may be renewed annually, regardless of any lapse of the license, at no additional cost to the licensee. A lifetime hunting license  does not include any special tags, validations,  stamps, or fees.
(b) A lifetime hunting license may be issued to residents of this state, as follows:
(1) To a person 62 years of age or over, upon payment of a base fee of three hundred sixty-five dollars ($365).
(2) To a person 40 years of age or over, and less than 62 years of age, upon payment of a base fee of five hundred forty dollars ($540).
(3) To a person 10 years of age or over, and less than 40 years of age, upon payment of a base fee of six hundred dollars ($600).
(4) To a person less than 10 years of age, upon payment of a base fee of three hundred sixty-five dollars ($365).
(c) (1) Upon payment of a base fee of four hundred forty-five dollars ($445), a person holding a lifetime hunting license shall annually be issued both of the following:
(A) One deer tag application pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 4332.
(B) One wild pig validation pursuant to Section 4654.
(2) Lifetime privileges issued pursuant to this subdivision are not transferable.
(d) Upon payment of a base fee of two hundred ten dollars ($210), a person holding a lifetime hunting license shall be entitled annually to the privileges afforded to a person holding a state duck stamp or validation issued pursuant to Section 3700.1 and an upland game bird stamp or validation issued pursuant to Section 3682.1. Lifetime privileges issued pursuant to this subdivision are not transferable.
(e) (c)  Nothing in this section requires a person less than 16 years of age to obtain a license to take birds or mammals except as required by law.
(f) (d)  Nothing in this section exempts an applicant for a license from meeting other qualifications or requirements otherwise established by law for the privilege of sport hunting.
(g) (e)  The base fees specified in this section are applicable commencing January 1, 2004, and shall be adjusted annually thereafter pursuant to Section 713.
(h) (f)  The commission shall adjust the amount of the fees specified in subdivisions (b), (c), and (d),  subdivision (b),  as necessary, to fully recover, but not exceed, all reasonable administrative and implementation costs of the department and the commission relating to those licenses.  
(i) This section shall become operative on July 1, 2024.

SEC. 22.

 Section 6651 of the Fish and Game Code is amended to read:

6651.
 (a) A license granting the privilege to harvest kelp or other aquatic plants shall be issued upon application and the payment of a fee of one hundred dollars ($100) to the department. The license shall be valid from January 1 to December 31, inclusive, or, if issued after the beginning of that term, for the remainder thereof.
(b) The commission shall adjust the amount of the fees specified in subdivision (a), as necessary, to fully recover, but not exceed, all reasonable administrative and implementation costs of the department and the commission relating to those licenses.
(c) This chapter does not apply to aquatic plants grown on private land or on state water bottoms leased pursuant to Division 12 (commencing with Section 15000).

SEC. 23.

 Section 7149.8 of the Fish and Game Code is amended to read:

7149.8.
 (a) A person shall not take abalone from ocean waters unless he or she first obtains, in addition to a valid California sport fishing license and any applicable license validation or stamp issued pursuant to this code, an abalone report card, and maintains that report card in his or her possession while taking abalone.
(b) The department or an authorized license agent shall issue an abalone report card upon payment of a fee of fifteen dollars ($15) in the 2004 license year, which shall be adjusted annually thereafter pursuant to Section 713.
(c) The commission shall adjust the amount of the fees specified in subdivision (b) as necessary, to fully recover, but not exceed, all reasonable administrative and implementation costs of the department and the commission relating to those licenses.

SEC. 24.

 Section 8598.3 of the Fish and Game Code is amended to read:

8598.3.
 (a) The fee for a marine aquaria collector’s permit shall be three hundred thirty dollars ($330).
(b) A person engaged in taking, possessing, or landing marine species under a marine aquaria collector’s permit shall not take, possess aboard a boat, or land any species under the authority of a scientific collector’s permit issued pursuant to Section 1002, 5515, or 10660 on the same fishing trip.
(c) The commission shall adjust the amount of the fees specified in subdivision (a) as necessary, to fully recover, but not exceed, all reasonable administrative and implementation costs of the department and the commission relating to those licenses.

SEC. 25.

 Section 12028 is added to the Fish and Game Code, to read:

12028.
 The Legislature finds and declares that:
(a) Poaching violations and other violations of the Fish and Game Code have been increasing, and these violations have a detrimental impact on fish and wildlife and their habitats, which are held in trust by the state for the benefit of the people of the state.
(b) In order to deter illegal poaching and other violations that adversely impact fish and wildlife, it is important that the department coordinate with other law enforcement entities and the courts to facilitate effective enforcement and prosecution of these offenses.
(c) The department, to the extent feasible and subject to available resources, shall establish and coordinate an environmental crimes task force. The task force should involve the participation of the department’s Office of General Counsel working with each of the department’s law enforcement districts. The task force may include coordination with representatives from the California District Attorneys’ Association, the Judicial Council, the Attorney General’s office, and the University of California. Objectives of the task force may include, but are not limited to, providing training, education, and outreach to prosecutors and the courts on Fish and Game Code violations and providing other assistance as appropriate in the prosecution of environmental crimes.

SEC. 26.

 Section 13205 is added to the Fish and Game Code, to read:

13205.
 The Augmented Deer Tags Account, Bighorn Sheep Permit Account, and Wild Pig Account, within the Fish and Game Preservation Fund, shall be consolidated and any remaining funds in these accounts transferred to the Big Game Management Account, consistent with Section 3953. The department, after consultation with the Department of Finance and the Legislative Analyst’s Office, shall provide recommendations to the Legislature for consolidation of additional dedicated accounts within the Fish and Game Preservation Fund if, in the determination of the department, consolidation would serve to reduce administrative costs to the department and enhance its ability to meet current needs, while still preserving the generally stated purpose of the dedicated accounts.

SEC. 27.

 Section 12805 of the Government Code is amended to read:

12805.
 (a) The Resources Agency is hereby renamed the Natural Resources Agency. The Natural Resources Agency consists of the departments of Forestry and Fire Protection, Conservation, Fish and Wildlife, Parks and Recreation, and Water Resources; the State Lands Commission; the Colorado River Board; the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission; the Central Valley Flood Protection Board; the Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission; the Wildlife Conservation Board; the Delta Protection Commission; Exposition Park;  the California Science Center; the California African American Museum; the  Native American Heritage Commission; the California Conservation Corps; the California Coastal Commission; the State Coastal Conservancy; the California Tahoe Conservancy; the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy; the Coachella Valley Mountains Conservancy; the San Joaquin River Conservancy; the San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy; the Baldwin Hills Conservancy; the San Diego River Conservancy; and the Sierra Nevada Conservancy.
(b) Existing supplies, forms, insignias, signs, or logos shall not be destroyed or changed as a result of changing the name of the Resources Agency to the Natural Resources Agency, and those materials shall continue to be used until exhausted or unserviceable.

SEC. 28.

 Section 4800 of the Labor Code is amended to read:

4800.
 (a) Whenever any member of the Department of Justice falling within the “state peace officer/firefighter” class is disabled by injury arising out of and in the course of his or her duties, he or she shall become entitled, regardless of his or her period of service with the Department of Justice to leave of absence while so disabled without loss of salary, in lieu of disability payments under this chapter, for a period of  not exceeding one year. This section applies  shall apply  only to members of the Department of Justice whose principal duties consist of active law enforcement and does shall  not apply to persons employed in the Department of Justice whose principal duties are those of telephone operator, clerk, stenographer, machinist, mechanic, mechanic  or otherwise clearly not falling within the scope of active law enforcement service, even though this person is subject to occasional call or is occasionally called upon to perform duties within the scope of active law enforcement service.
(b) This section applies  shall apply  to law enforcement officers employed by the Department of Fish and Wildlife who are described in subdivision (e) of Section 830.2 of the Penal Code.
(c) This section applies  shall apply  to harbor police officers employed by the San Francisco Port Commission who are described in Section 20402 of the Government Code.
(d) This section shall does  not apply to periods of disability that which  occur subsequent to termination of employment by resignation, retirement, retirement  or dismissal. When this section does not apply, the employee shall be eligible for those benefits that which  would apply if this section had not been enacted.