BILL NUMBER: SB 1078INTRODUCED BILL TEXT INTRODUCED BY Senator Evans FEBRUARY 14, 2012 An act to add Section 6216.8 to, and to add and repeal Section 5080.46 of, the Public Resources Code, relating to state lands. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SB 1078, as introduced, Evans. State lands: delinquent rent program: state park revenue generation program. Existing law requires the State Lands Commission in the Natural Resources Agency to take various actions with regard to the administration and control of, including the management and lease of, state lands. This bill would require the commission, no later than April 30, 2013, to develop and implement a plan to collect delinquent rents and renegotiate expired and undervalued leases for state land and properties under the commission's control. The bill would provide for the loan of $1,000,000 from the General Fund to be made available to the commission, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to develop and implement the plan, including the hiring of necessary new staff. The bill would require that any revenues received by the commission from the collection of delinquent rents and the renegotiation of expired and undervalued leases for state lands be deposited into the Delinquent Rent Collection Program Account in the General Fund, which the bill would create. The bill would require that all revenues received by the commission from the collection of delinquent rents and the renegotiation of expired and undervalued leases for state lands and property be made available, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to repay the above-described loan to the commission to develop and implement the plan, and for allocation to the Department of Parks and Recreation, in specified amounts, for specified purposes relating to the study and implementation of park revenue increase studies and revenue generating programs, as prescribed. The bill would require the department, until January 1, 2016, to develop and implement a pilot program intended to increase existing revenues and develop new sources of income at individual units of the state park system, as prescribed. The bill would require the department, not later than December 31, 2015, to report to the Legislature on the effectiveness of the pilot program required to be developed and implemented pursuant to those provisions. Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 5080.46 is added to the Public Resources Code, to read: 5080.46. (a) The department shall develop and implement a pilot program intended to increase existing revenues, and develop new sources of income at individual units of the state park system. The pilot program is intended to accomplish the following: (1) Develop ways to allow the department to keep a defined amount of the revenues generated by a particular unit of the state park system, regardless of whether the unit is operated by the department, or pursuant to an agreement with a nonprofit organization, or other entity, for use solely for the operation of that unit of the park system for the purpose of using the moneys to develop ways to increase revenues at that unit of the state park system. (2) Implement a plan to generate new sources of revenue at individual units of the state park system intended to ensure there are sufficient revenues for the continued operation of that unit of the state park system. (b) No later than December 31, 2015, the department shall report to the Legislature on the effectiveness of the pilot program developed and implemented pursuant to this section in increasing existing revenues and generating new sources of revenues at individual units of the state park system. (c) This section shall remain in effect until January 1, 2016, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that is enacted before January 1, 2016, deletes or extends that date. SEC. 2. Section 6216.8 is added to the Public Resources Code, to read: 6216.8. (a) The commission shall, no later than April 30, 2013, develop and implement a plan to collect delinquent rents and renegotiate expired and undervalued leases for state land and properties under the commission's control. The sum of one million dollars ($1,000,000) shall be made available to the commission, upon appropriation by the Legislature, as a loan from the General Fund to carry out the purposes of this section, including the hiring of staff. (b) All revenues received by the commission from the collection of delinquent rents and the renegotiation of expired and undervalued leases for state lands and property shall be deposited into the Delinquent Rent Collection Program Account in the General Fund, which is hereby created. Moneys in the fund may be expended, upon appropriation by the Legislature, in accordance with the following schedule: (1) The sum of one million dollars ($1,000,000) shall be allocated, before any other items in this schedule, to repay the loan for the startup cost of the program, as prescribed in subdivision (a). (2) (A) The sum of one million dollars ($1,000,000) shall be allocated to the Department of Parks and Recreation to study ways to increase park revenues to prevent state park closures and ensure the preservation of existing parks. The study shall evaluate and consider all of the following: (i) The feasibility of lowering the cost of annual park passes that can be used in specific regions of the state, along with the study of regional passes that are part of cooperative ventures with county parks departments. (ii) The feasibility of issuing park passes that provide extra value such as coupons for recreational goods and services. (iii) The creation of voluntary tax check off options to be used to purchase state park passes. (iv) The implementation of a plan to initiate concessionaire contracts that will increase state revenues. (v) The cost-effectiveness of entering into agreements with park and nonprofit organizations for the operation of concessions at state parks. (B) If there are insufficient funds collected pursuant to subdivision (a) to complete all the elements of the study required pursuant to this paragraph, the funds collected shall be used to maintain and keep parks open in the regions of the state that are most affected by state park closures. (3) The sum of one million five hundred thousand dollars ($1,500,000) and any moneys remaining from the allocation prescribed in paragraph (2) shall be allocated to the Department of Parks and Recreation to implement new state park revenue generating programs. If insufficient funds are collected pursuant to subdivision (a) for the purposes of this paragraph, the amount of funds collected shall be used to keep state historical parks open. (c) Subdivision (a) does not apply to delinquent rents collected on leases for school land or property.