Amended  IN  Senate  July 02, 2018
Amended  IN  Assembly  March 21, 2018

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2017–2018 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill No. 2465

Introduced by Assembly Member Gallagher

February 14, 2018

An act to add Section 7124 708 to the Fish and Game Code, relating to hunting and fishing.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


AB 2465, as amended, Gallagher. Sport Hunting and sport fishing licenses: decline in sales: advisory group.
Existing law requires every person 16 years of age or older who takes any fish, reptile, or amphibian for any purpose other than profit to first obtain a sport fishing license for that purpose, with specified exceptions, and to have that license on his or her person or in his or her immediate possession when engaged in carrying out any activity authorized by the license. Existing law requires the Department of Fish and Wildlife to issue an annual sport fishing license to a resident or nonresident upon payment of the applicable fee. Under existing law, the annual sport fishing license is valid for the period of a calendar year, or, if issued after the beginning of the year, for the remainder of the year.
Under existing law, a hunting license grants the privilege to take birds and mammals. Existing law requires the department to issue an annual hunting license to a resident or nonresident upon payment of the applicable fee. Under existing law, the annual hunting license is valid for a term of one year from July 1 to June 30, inclusive, or, if issued after the beginning of the term, for the remainder of the term.
This bill would require the department, on or before February 1, 2019, 2020, to convene a hunting and sport fishing industry group, to be known as the R3 Group, with “R3” standing for “Recruitment, Retention, and Reactivation.” Under the bill, the purpose of the R3 Group would be to collaborate with the department to identify barriers to hunting and sport fishing that contribute to the decline in sales of hunting and sport fishing licenses. The bill would specify the membership of the R3 Group and provide for the R3 Group to identify the above-described barriers to hunting and sport fishing, develop and approve recommendations for removal of those barriers, and submit to the Legislature, as provided, a report containing the approved recommendations.
Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NO  

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


SECTION 1.

 Section 7124 708 is added to the Fish and Game Code, to read:

7124.708.
 (a) On or before February 1, 2019, 2020, the department shall convene a hunting and sport fishing industry group, to be known as the R3 Group. “R3” shall stand for “Recruitment, Retention, and Reactivation.” The purpose of the R3 Group shall be to collaborate with the department to identify barriers to hunting and sport fishing that contribute to the decline in sales of hunting and sport fishing licenses.
(b) The members of the R3 Group shall be as follows:
(1) The director, or the director’s designee. designee or designees.
(2) The following members appointed by the director:
(A) The president of the national Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation, if the president chooses to participate, or the president’s designee.
(B) Other stakeholders in the stakeholders, including, but not limited to, representatives from the hunting, boating, outdoor shooting, and sport fishing industry, industries, selected by the director from a nominations list provided by representatives of the sport fishing industry. director.
(c) Members of the R3 Group shall serve without compensation or reimbursement of expenses.
(d) (1) The R3 Group shall meet in February 2019 2020 to identify barriers to hunting and sport fishing described in subdivision (a).
(2) No later than 90 days after the meeting required pursuant to paragraph (1), the R3 Group shall meet to develop and approve recommendations for removing, when possible, the barriers identified pursuant to paragraph (1).
(3) In developing and approving the recommendations pursuant to paragraph (2), the R3 Group shall take into consideration best practices for the evaluation of hunter and angler recruitment, retention, and reactivation programs, including including, but not limited to, both of the following:
(A) The evaluation framework described in Appendix C of the “Recommendations and Strategic Tools for Effective Angler Recruitment, Retention and Reactivation (R3) Efforts” published by the Aquatic Resources Education Association and the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation.
(B) The Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation’s “Best Practices Guide to Program Evaluation for Aquatic Educators.”
(e) (1) No later than 30 days after the R3 Group has approved recommendations pursuant to subdivision (d), the R3 Group shall submit to the Legislature, as provided in paragraph (2), a report containing the approved recommendations.
(2) The report required pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be submitted to the Chairperson and Vice Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Water, the Assembly Committee on Water, Parks, and Wildlife, and the Joint Committee on Fisheries and Aquaculture.