(a) It is the intent of the Legislature to ensure adequate funding from appropriate sources for the department. To this end, the Legislature finds and declares that:
(1) The costs of nongame fish and wildlife programs shall be provided annually in the Budget Act by appropriating money from the General Fund, through nongame user fees, and sources other than the Fish and Game Preservation Fund to the department for these purposes.
(2) The costs of commercial fishing programs shall be provided out of revenues from commercial fishing landing fees, license fees, and other revenues, from reimbursements and federal funds received for commercial fishing programs, and other funds appropriated by the Legislature for this purpose.
(3) The costs of hunting and sportfishing programs shall be provided out of hunting and sportfishing revenues and reimbursements and federal funds received for hunting and sportfishing programs, and other funds appropriated by the Legislature for this purpose. These revenues, reimbursements, and federal funds shall not be used to support commercial fishing programs, free hunting and fishing license programs, or nongame fish and wildlife programs.
(4) The costs of managing lands managed by the department and the costs of wildlife management programs shall be supplemented out of revenues in the Native Species Conservation and Enhancement Account in the Fish and Game Preservation Fund.
(5) Hunting, sportfishing, and sport ocean fishing license fees shall be adjusted annually to an amount equal to that computed pursuant to Section 713. However, a substantial increase in the aggregate of hunting and sportfishing programs shall be reflected by appropriate amendments to the sections of this code that establish the base sport license fee levels. The inflationary index provided in Section 713 shall not be used to accommodate a substantial increase in the aggregate of hunting and sportfishing programs.
(6) The costs of a conservation and mitigation banking program, including, but not limited to, costs incurred by the department during its adoption of guidelines for, and the review, approval, establishment, monitoring, and oversight of, banks, shall be reimbursed from revenues of conservation and mitigation bank application fees imposed pursuant to Sections 1798.5, 1798.6, and 1799.
(b) The director and the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency, with the department’s annual budget submittal to the Legislature, shall submit a report on the fund condition, including the expenditures and revenue, for all accounts and subaccounts within the Fish and Game Preservation Fund. The department shall also update its cost allocation plan to reflect the costs of program activities.
(c) For purposes of this section, “substantial increase” means an increase in excess of 5 percent of the Fish and Game Preservation Fund portion of the department’s current year support budget, excluding cost-of-living increases provided for salaries, staff benefits, and operating expenses.
(Amended by Stats. 2023, Ch. 132, Sec. 12. (AB 1760) Effective January 1, 2024.)