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SB-772 Junior hunting licenses: age of eligibility.(2023-2024)

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Date Published: 04/18/2023 09:00 PM
SB772:v98#DOCUMENT

Amended  IN  Senate  April 18, 2023

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Bill
No. 772

Introduced by Senator Dahle

February 17, 2023

An act to amend amend, repeal, and add Section 3031 of of, and to add and repeal Section 3031.1 of, the Fish and Game Code, relating to hunting.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


SB 772, as amended, Dahle. Junior hunting licenses: age of eligibility.
Under existing law, a hunting license grants the privilege to take birds and mammals. Existing law requires the Department of Fish and Wildlife to issue an annual hunting license upon payment of a specified fee that varies in amount depending on whether the applicant is a resident of the state. Under existing law, an annual hunting license is valid for a term of one year beginning on July 1 or for the remainder of the term if issued after July 1. Existing law requires the department to issue a reduced-fee annual hunting license, known as a junior hunting license, upon payment of a specified fee, to a resident or nonresident who is under 16 years of age on July 1 of the licensing year for which that person seeks a license.
This bill would would, beginning July 1, 2024, and until July 1, 2029, increase the age of eligibility for an applicant for a reduced-fee junior hunting license from 16 to 18 years of age, as specified. The bill would require the Director of Fish and Wildlife to submit a report to the Legislature on or before October 1, 2027, that evaluates the effect of this change in the eligibility for the junior hunting license on participation in hunting. The bill would also make related conforming changes.
Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NO  

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:


SECTION 1.

 Section 3031 of the Fish and Game Code is amended to read:

3031.
 (a) A hunting license, granting the privilege to take birds and mammals, shall be issued to any of the following:
(1) A resident of this state, 18 years of age or older, upon the payment of a base fee of thirty-one dollars and twenty-five cents ($31.25).
(2) A resident or nonresident, who is under 18 years of age on July 1 of the licensing year, upon the payment of a base fee of eight dollars and twenty-five cents ($8.25), regardless of whether that person applies before or after July 1 of that year. A license issued pursuant to this paragraph shall be known as a junior hunting license and a person who holds one of these licenses shall be known as a junior hunter.
(3) A nonresident, 18 years of age or older, upon the payment of a base fee of one hundred eight dollars and fifty cents ($108.50).
(4) A nonresident, 18 years of age or older, valid only for two consecutive days upon payment of the fee set forth in paragraph (1). A license issued pursuant to this paragraph is valid only for taking resident and migratory game birds, resident small game mammals, fur-bearing mammals, wild pigs, and nongame mammals, as defined in this code or in regulations adopted by the commission.
(5) A nonresident, valid for one day and only for the taking of domesticated game birds and pheasants while on the premises of a licensed game bird club, or for the taking of domesticated migratory game birds in areas licensed for shooting those birds, upon the payment of a base fee of fifteen dollars ($15).
(b) The base fees specified in this section are applicable to the 2004 license year, and 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.
(d) A person who is 16 or 17 years of age, is in possession of a valid junior hunting license, and is issued an entry permit pursuant to Section 551 of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations may hunt in the area described in the entry permit unaccompanied by a person over 18 years of age but shall not be accompanied by a person under 16 years of age.
(e) This section shall become inoperative on July 1, 2029, and, as of January 1, 2030, is repealed.

SEC. 2.

 Section 3031 is added to the Fish and Game Code, to read:

3031.
 (a) A hunting license, granting the privilege to take birds and mammals, shall be issued to any of the following:
(1) A resident of this state, 16 years of age or older, upon the payment of a base fee of thirty-one dollars and twenty-five cents ($31.25).
(2) A resident or nonresident, who is under 16 years of age on July 1 of the licensing year, upon the payment of a base fee of eight dollars and twenty-five cents ($8.25), regardless of whether that person applies before or after July 1 of that year. A license issued pursuant to this paragraph shall be known as a junior hunting license and a person who holds one of these licenses shall be known as a junior hunter.
(3) A nonresident, 16 years of age or older, upon the payment of a base fee of one hundred eight dollars and fifty cents ($108.50).
(4) A nonresident, 16 years of age or older, valid only for two consecutive days upon payment of the fee set forth in paragraph (1). A license issued pursuant to this paragraph is valid only for taking resident and migratory game birds, resident small game mammals, fur-bearing mammals, wild pigs, and nongame mammals, as defined in this code or in regulations adopted by the commission.
(5) A nonresident, valid for one day and only for the taking of domesticated game birds and pheasants while on the premises of a licensed game bird club, or for the taking of domesticated migratory game birds in areas licensed for shooting those birds, upon the payment of a base fee of fifteen dollars ($15).
(b) The base fees specified in this section are applicable to the 2004 license year, and 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.
(d) A person who is 16 or 17 years of age, is in possession of a valid resident or nonresident hunting license, and is issued an entry permit pursuant to Section 551 of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations may hunt in the area described in the entry permit unaccompanied by a person over 18 years of age but shall not be accompanied by a person under 16 years of age.
(e) This section shall become operative on July 1, 2029.

SEC. 3.

 Section 3031.1 is added to the Fish and Game Code, to read:

3031.1.
 (a) On or before October 1, 2027, the director shall submit a written report to the Legislature that evaluates the effect of the change in age eligibility of the junior hunting license issued pursuant to Section 3031 from under 16 years of age to under 18 years of age on participation in hunting.
(b) The report to be submitted pursuant to subdivision (a) shall include all of the following:
(1) Information regarding sales of lifetime hunting licenses to persons under 18 years of age and sales of junior hunting licenses.
(2) The cost to the department and the commission from administering and implementing the junior hunting license and lifetime hunting licenses issued to persons under 18 years of age and all programs, including, but not limited to, apprentice hunts, that the holders of those licenses are eligible to participate in.
(3) The number of junior hunting licenseholders that continue to purchase hunting licenses, validations, tags, stamps, and other authorizations when their eligibility to purchase junior hunting licenses ends.
(4) The number of lifetime hunting licenseholders who were issued that license under 18 years of age that continue to purchase hunting validations, tags, stamps, and other authorizations.
(5) Evidence of any changes in participation by those who had not previously purchased junior hunting licenses due to the change in age eligibility for that license.
(6) Any other relevant information at the discretion of the director.
(c) The director shall collect all relevant, appropriate, and sufficient data necessary to evaluate the effect of the junior hunting licenses and lifetime hunting licenses issued to persons under 18 years of age on hunting participation in the state, and to justify the amount of the license fees assessed, including information about data collection and enforcement costs. Data collection efforts pursuant to this subdivision shall avoid duplication and use data collected for other purposes, to the extent feasible.
(d) (1) The report to be submitted pursuant to subdivision (a) shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.
(2) Pursuant to Section 10231.5 of the Government Code, this section is inoperative on October 1, 2031, and is repealed on January 1, 2032.

SEC. 4.

 This act shall become operative on July 1, 2024.