Bill Text: CA SB58 | 2017-2018 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Wildlife management areas: payment of taxes and assessments.

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Failed) 2018-02-01 - Returned to Secretary of Senate pursuant to Joint Rule 56. [SB58 Detail]

Download: California-2017-SB58-Introduced.html

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CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2017–2018 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Bill

No. 58

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Introduced by Senator McGuire
(Coauthors: Senators Dodd, Nielsen, and Roth)
(Coauthors: Assembly Members Bigelow, Dahle, and Wood)

December 12, 2016

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An act to amend Section 1504 of the Fish and Game Code, relating to fish and wildlife.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

SB 58, as introduced, McGuire. Wildlife management areas: payment of taxes and assessments.

Existing law regulates real property acquired and operated by the state as wildlife management areas, and authorizes the Department of Fish and Wildlife, when income is directly derived from that real property, as provided, to annually pay to the county in which the property is located an amount equal to the county taxes levied upon the property at the time it was transferred to the state. Existing law further authorizes the department to pay the assessments levied upon the property by any irrigation, drainage, or reclamation district. Existing law requires those payments to only be made from funds that are appropriated to the department for those purposes.

This bill would, commencing with the 2018–19 fiscal year and each fiscal year thereafter, require, instead of authorize, the department to make these payments subject to appropriation by the Legislature.

Digest Key

Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NO  

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Bill Text

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

SECTION 1.

 Section 1504 of the Fish and Game Code is amended to read:

1504.

 (a) When Commencing with the 2018–19 fiscal year, and each fiscal year thereafter, when income is derived directly from real property acquired and operated by the state as a wildlife management area, and regardless of whether income is derived from property acquired after October 1, 1949, the department may shall pay annually to the county in which the property is located an amount equal to the county taxes levied upon the property at the time title to the property was transferred to the state. The department may shall also pay the assessments levied upon the property by any irrigation, drainage, or reclamation district.

(b) Any delinquent penalties or interest applicable to any of those assessments made before September 9, 1953, are hereby canceled and shall be waived.

(c) Payments provided by this section shall only be made from funds that are appropriated to the department for the purposes of this section.

(d) As used in this section, the term “wildlife management area” includes waterfowl management areas, deer ranges, upland game bird management areas, and public shooting grounds.

(e) Any payment made under this section shall be made on or before December 10 of each year, with the exception of newly acquired property for which payments shall be made pursuant to subdivision (f).

(f) Any payments made for the purposes of this section shall be made within one year of the date title to the property was transferred to the state, or within 90 days from the date of designation as a wildlife management area, whichever occurs first, prorated for the balance of the year from the date of designation as a wildlife management area to the 30th day of June following the date of designation as a wildlife management area, and, thereafter, payments shall be made on or before December 10 of each year.

(g) Notwithstanding any other law, payments provided under this section shall not be allocated to a school district, a community college district, or a county superintendent of schools.