Bill Text: CA AB1111 | 2019-2020 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Outdoor recreation: Office of Outdoor Recreation: California Outdoor Recreation Account.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2019-08-30 - In committee: Held under submission. [AB1111 Detail]
Download: California-2019-AB1111-Amended.html
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Amended
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Senate
August 12, 2019 |
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July 11, 2019 |
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July 02, 2019 |
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May 20, 2019 |
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March 18, 2019 |
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE—
2019–2020 REGULAR SESSION
Assembly Bill
No. 1111
| Introduced by Assembly Member Friedman (Principal coauthor: Assembly Member Eduardo Garcia) |
February 21, 2019 |
An act to add and repeal Division 14.8 (commencing with Section 23000) of the Public Resources Code, relating to outdoor recreation.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 1111, as amended, Friedman.
Outdoor recreation: Office of Outdoor Recreation: California Outdoor Recreation Account.
Existing law requires the Director of the Department of Parks and Recreation to maintain and keep up to date a comprehensive plan for the development of the outdoor recreation resources of the state for purposes of the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965.
This bill would establish, until January 1, 2025, the Office of Outdoor Recreation in the Office of the Governor. The bill would require the office to undertake certain activities, including supporting the outdoor recreation economy and working toward equitable access to outdoor areas of the state by engaging in specified activities. The bill would also require the office to create an advisory committee to provide advice, expertise, support, and service to the office.
The bill would authorize the office to receive assistance and
funds from public and private sources, and would require that the moneys received by the office pursuant to this provision or appropriated by the Legislature for purposes of the bill be deposited in the California Outdoor Recreation Account, which the bill would create.
Digest Key
Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NOBill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:(a) Outdoor recreation in California contributes $92 billion to the state’s economy and directly supports 691,000 jobs.
(b) California’s outdoor recreation economy is the largest in the nation.
(c) California’s protected lands comprise 46.7 percent of the state, but access to them varies widely and is inequitable. The state has approximately 12,500 public park and recreation lands covering 47,570,065 acres of startling variety, including 3,427 miles of shoreline,
as well as ancient forests, vast deserts, mountains, beaches, waterfront parks, trails of all kinds, gardens, farms, places of historic importance, picnic spots, playing fields, pocket parks, and playgrounds.
(d) California’s parks, beaches, forests, natural reserves, and other public spaces for outdoor recreation are a key driver for drivers of national and international tourism to California.
(e) Encouraging sustainable recreation practices will help grow the economic development potential of the outdoor recreation economy and enable
wise public lands management decisions.
(f) Preserving a healthy and equitable outdoor recreation economy is vital for all Californians and can particularly support rural communities that are gateways to outdoor recreation locations and opportunities.
(g) Increasing equitable access to the outdoors and participation in outdoor recreation programs and services programs, services, and benefits of the outdoor recreation economy are critical to improving the health and wellness of all Californians, decreasing the prevalence of obesity and diabetes, maintaining Californians’ quality of life, and
building an environmentally literate society
society, and developing environmental stewards and conservationists to build on California’s public lands heritage.
(h) All Californians have the right to access our public lands and waters and reap the many benefits to health and wellness, education, conservation, social justice, personal development, and economic development that this access brings.
(i) The health of California’s beaches, snow covered mountains, redwoods, deserts, wetlands, and rivers is essential to maintaining a vibrant recreational tourism industry. Yet each of these ecosystems is threatened by climate change and its many impacts on weather patterns and biodiversity. Sea level rise, which is just one of the rapidly increasing effects of climate change, currently threatens
beaches throughout the state. The availability of our public lands for recreation is intensely affected by fire, flood, and drought.
SEC. 2.
Division 14.8 (commencing with Section 23000) is added to the Public Resources Code, to read:DIVISION 14.8. Outdoor Recreation
23000.
The Office of Outdoor Recreation is hereby established in the Office of the Governor.23001.
For purposes of this division, the following terms have the following meanings:(a) “Equitable” means fair treatment, access, and opportunity by seeking to identify and eliminate identifying and eliminating barriers that prevent the full participation of historically underserved and underrepresented populations. populations, including better reflecting the demographic
makeup of the state.
(b) “Inclusive” means creating environments in which all individuals and groups groups, including those with the characteristics listed in subdivision (a) of Section 11135 of the Government Code, can be and feel welcomed, respected, supported, and valued to fully participate in the outdoors.
(c) “Office” means the Office of Outdoor Recreation.
(d) “Outdoor recreation” means a pursuit that occurs in a natural environment or physical landscape, including various active and passive sports and
activities.
23002.
The office shall receive administrative and staff support from appropriate agencies and departments.23003.
The office shall undertake the following activities:(a) Supporting the outdoor recreation economy, and working toward equitable access to outdoor areas of California by doing all of the following:
(1) Coordinating with outdoor recreation industry stakeholders.
(2) Developing data regarding impacts of outdoor recreation in California.
(3) Developing strategies to recruit and grow outdoor recreation businesses and opportunities and recreation-related employment in California.
(4) Recommending equitable and inclusive policies and initiatives to enhance recreational amenities and equitable outdoor experiences in the state. experiences.
(5) Recommending policies and initiatives to increase equitable and inclusive access to recreational amenities and experiences.
(6) Collaborating with state and local governments and tourism and economic development offices
to further promote and grow outdoor recreation-related tourism.
(b) Facilitating efforts to increase diversity and inclusion in the outdoor recreation economy by doing all of the following:
(1) Identifying and evaluating ways to eliminate existing barriers to increasing diversity and inclusion in the outdoor recreation economy.
(2) Identifying workforce programs and initiatives that successfully attract an inclusive cross section of Californians into the outdoor recreation field.
(3) Promoting inclusion practices in state planning efforts and programs related to outdoor recreation workforce recruitment, training, and mentorship.
(4) Identifying and promoting models for partnerships with youth-serving organizations in urban and rural areas to build a pipeline for workforce development in the outdoor recreation field.
(b)
(c) Serving as a central point of contact for the outdoor recreation
industry and recreation providers in California.
(c)
(d) Coordinating equitable and inclusive outdoor recreation policies across state and local departments and agencies that provide outdoor recreation access or programming.
(d)
(e) Fostering connections and communication between government
agencies that manage natural resources for outdoor recreation and companies, businesses, organizations, and communities that provide outdoor recreation products and services.
(e)
(f) Working with state and nonprofit partners to identify current and potential climate change impacts on recreational resources in California.
(f)
(g) Identifying funding gaps in state departments and agencies that provide outdoor access or programming, and making recommendations to the Legislature and the Governor on future statutory changes or other proposals that can help address those funding gaps, including funding from possible public, private, philanthropic, enterprise, and revenue generation activities, where appropriate.
23004.
(a) The office shall, consistent with the purposes of this division, create an advisory committee to provide advice, expertise, support, and service to the office. The composition of the advisory committee shall strive to reflect the diversity of(b) The advisory committee may include, but is not limited to, the following members:
(1) Representatives from companies and businesses that offer outdoor
recreation products and services.
(2) Representatives from nonprofit organizations and community-based organizations that provide recreational services and programs to the public.
(3) Representatives who have expertise in equity, diversity, and inclusion.
(4) Members of local and regional tourism organizations.
(5) Members of government entities engaged in public lands management and recreational services.
(6) A representative from the Department of Parks and Recreation.
(7) A representative from the State Department of Education.
(8) A representative from the Department of Fish and Wildlife.
(9) A representative from the California Health and Human Services Agency.
(10) A representative from Visit California.
(11) A representative from a rural area in the state that has a recreation-dependent economy.
(12) A representative from the Fish and Game Commission.
(c) Members of the advisory committee shall serve without compensation, but each shall be reimbursed for actual and necessary expenses incurred
in the performance of their duties as they relate to the advisory committee.
23005.
(a) The office may receive assistance and funds from public and private sources.(b) Upon appropriation by the Legislature, the office shall expend funds to conduct its work.
(c) All moneys received pursuant to this section or appropriated by the Legislature for purposes of this division shall be deposited in the California Outdoor Recreation Account, which is hereby created.
