2023 Legislative Bill Report for State Parks
AB 338 (Aguiar-Curry) Fuel reduction work.
Status: Signed –Chapter 428, Statutes of 2023
Summary: This bill would require, beginning July 1, 2026, that prevailing wages be paid to individuals conducting fuel reduction work through contracts meeting certain standards, as specified, including contracts in excess of $500,000 and contracts being paid in whole or in part out of public funds. This bill defines “fuel reduction work” as including but not limited to, residential chipping, rural road fuel breaks, and firebreaks.
AB 469 (Fong) California Public Records Act Ombudsperson.
Status: Vetoed by the Governor
Summary: This bill would establish the Office of the California Public Records Act Ombudsperson and would require the ombudsperson to be appointed by the Governor, subject to an appropriation. The purpose of the ombudsperson would be to review a state agency's denial of a request for records under the California Public Records Act, as specified. This bill also includes an annual reporting requirement and a January 1, 2027, sunset.
AB 618 (Bauer-Kahan) State parks: reservations.
Status: Signed–Chapter 536, Statutes of 2023
Summary: This bill would place requirements on Department contracts for the reservation system, on or before January 1, 2024, including email reminders and a reservation drawing. This bill would also require a report to the Legislature by January 1, 2028.
AB 912 (Jones-Sawyer) Strategic Anti-Violence Funding Efforts Act.
Status: Vetoed by the Governor
Summary: Section 11 of this bill would require the Department to, upon appropriation, develop and administer a local assistance grant program to create new and support existing park and recreation opportunities, including youth summer programs with extended park hours, expanded programming for nighttime sports, educational opportunities, and visual and performing arts opportunities, during peak times of violence, as specified. The bill would also require the Department to submit an annual program evaluation report to the Legislature, as specified.
AB 966 (Davies) DBW: report: shoreline erosion control & public beach programs.
Status: Vetoed by the Governor
Summary: This bill would require the Department’s Division of Boating and Waterways (DBW) to coordinate with the State Coastal Conservancy to submit a joint report to the Legislature, no later than January 1, 2025, on shoreline erosion control and public beach restoration programs, as specified.
AB 1150 (WP&W) Parks and recreation: omnibus.
Status: Signed by the Governor October 13, 2023
Summary: This bill would revise several vessel related code sections for compliance with federal code. This bill would also authorize the Department to enter into “community access agreements” with nonprofit organizations to expand and enhance access to the State Park System for underserved park users, including free or reduced-cost access, contingent upon the availability of Department resources, including a Legislative reporting requirement and 2029 sunset. Additionally, this bill would clarify CalWORKS eligibility for the Departments’ “Golden Bear Pass”. Lastly, this bill would expand eligibility for the Recreational Trails Program to include tribes, as specified.
SB 256 (Dodd) Parklands: City of Davis.
Status: Signed –Chapter 305, Statutes of 2023
Summary: This bill would authorize the City of Davis (City) to convey easements, leases, or licenses for habitat conservation projects and carbon sequestration projects on or under eight parcels of land the City acquired with grant funding from Proposition 70, for wildlife and riparian habitat, wetlands, and potential wetlands, as specified.
SB 387 (Dodd) State property: sale or lease: broadband development.
Status: Signed –Chapter 485, Statutes of 2023
Summary: This bill would authorize the Department of General Services (DGS) to lease real property under the jurisdiction of a state agency, department, or district agricultural association, with the consent of that state agency, at less than fair market value, to extend broadband infrastructure development throughout the state, as specified.
SB 391 (Blakespear) Workers’ compensation: skin cancer.
Status: Vetoed by the Governor
Summary: This bill would extend the existing worker’s compensation presumption for skin cancer to include the Department’s Rangers, as well as Fish and Wildlife Wardens.
SB 475 (Min) Park property: City of Laguna Woods: City Centre Park.
Status: Signed –Chapter 287, Statutes of 2023
Summary: This bill would authorize the City of Laguna Woods to dispose of a portion of City Centre Park to construct a new fire station, as specified. The bill would require the City of Laguna Woods to reinvest the appraised value of the repurposed park land ($212,000) for capital improvements to the remaining City Centre Park property within three years of the Department’s approval of the capital investment plan prepared by the City.
Senate Bill 544 (Laird) Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act: teleconferencing.
Status: Signed – Chapter 216, Statutes of 2023
Summary: This bill would amend the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act, indefinitely removing certain teleconference requirements, as specified, while ensuring public access to state body meetings via audio, video, or physical attendance. This bill would stipulate that a meeting with remote participation must adjourn if connectivity is lost and cannot be restored. This bill would also require accommodation for individuals with disabilities, as specified, and would mandate that all individuals present at a remote location be disclosed, as specified.
SB 668 (Dodd) State parks: operating agreements.
Status: Signed –Chapter 183, Statutes of 2023
Summary: This bill would remove the sunset on the Department’s authority to enter into full or partial operating or co-management agreements with qualified nonprofit organizations, as specified.