Hunting tags: transfer: youth program.

Section 1054.7 was replaced from a simple tag-donation-to-organization model with a detailed organization-facilitated transfer program that requires organizations to register with the department, meet specific eligibility criteria (501(c)(3) status, conservation goals, representing hunters' interests, demonstrated history), and follow a formal request process.

Disabled veterans are now explicitly included as eligible recipients under the Section 1054.7 organization-facilitated transfer program, expanding beyond just youth with medical conditions or disabilities.

A new statutory definition of 'life-threatening illness' was added: an illness that can lead to a possibility of termination of life within five years or less, as stated in writing by the patient's attending physician or surgeon. This provides a concrete medical standard for eligibility.

A new provision (paragraph 6(D) of Section 1054.7) was added stating that if the commission or department adopts a requirement making a person ineligible to draw a tag after previously being awarded one, that ineligibility applies to the transferor and not the transferee. This mirrors a similar rule already present in Section 1054.6.

The fee structure for Section 1054.7 changed from collecting a fee from the individual transferor (donor) to collecting fees from the organization for both registration and processing of transfer requests, with revenues still deposited into the Big Game Management Account.

Terminology was standardized throughout, changing references from 'child' to 'youth' in the organization program to align with the parent-to-youth transfer section, and several drafting errors were corrected (e.g., 'The Notwithstanding' to 'Notwithstanding,' duplicate section numbering removed).

The short title was narrowed from 'youth and disabled veteran participation programs' to 'youth program,' removing explicit reference to disabled veterans in the bill's title, though the operative text of Section 1054.7 still includes disabled veterans as eligible recipients.

The digest language was changed from describing 'certain fees to cover specified costs of those programs' (plural, covering both the family transfer and organization-facilitated programs) to a single 'fee to cover the reasonable costs of transferring a tag,' suggesting consolidation or simplification of the fee structure description.

All new provisions (Sections 1054.6 and 1054.7) now sunset on January 1, 2033. A replacement Section 1052 takes effect on that date to restore the original anti-transfer rule without the exceptions, ensuring a clean legal transition when the programs expire.

A new report requirement mandates that the department submit a report to legislative policy and budget committees by January 1, 2032. The report must detail the number and types of hunting opportunities provided to youth with life-threatening illnesses, include recommendations for program improvement, and account for all costs and revenues. Data collection must avoid duplication and comply with Government Code Section 9795.

A new subsection (6) in Section 1054.6 specifically addresses tags for species that may only be drawn once, clarifying that the ineligibility to draw another tag for that species applies to the transferor and not the transferee.

Multiple references shift authority from 'the department shall establish' to 'the department commission shall establish,' and from 'the department may adopt regulations' to 'the department commission shall adopt regulations.' This gives the Fish and Game Commission a direct role in establishing the programs and adopting implementing rules, rather than leaving those decisions solely to the department.

Fee collection is changed from optional ('may collect') to mandatory ('shall collect') in both the family transfer program (Section 1054.6) and the organization-facilitated transfer program (Section 1054.7). This ensures the programs will generate revenue for the Big Game Management Account.

A new definition is added for 'physical disability,' defined by reference to Section 12926 of the Government Code. Previously this term was used in eligibility criteria but not formally defined within the section.

The term 'child' is replaced with 'youth' throughout the organization-facilitated transfer program provisions, aligning terminology with the eligibility criteria that use 'youth.'

The amendment to Section 1005 of the Fish and Game Code, which would have allowed the Department of Fish and Wildlife to charge fees for educational exhibits and materials at fairs, shows, schools, and civic events, was removed entirely from the bill.

A new Section 1 amends Section 1052 of the Fish and Game Code to add the phrase 'Except as authorized pursuant to Sections 1054.6 and 1054.7' at the beginning, creating a legal exception so that tag transfers under the new programs do not violate the existing prohibition on transferring licenses, tags, stamps, permits, or applications.

Section 1054.7 was substantially rewritten to add detailed operational requirements: organizations must meet specific eligibility criteria (nonprofit status, conservation-related goals, demonstrated history of providing hunting opportunities), register with the department, and submit a formal request containing a signed donor statement, proof of recipient eligibility, the unused tag, and a description of the hunting opportunity.

Both Section 1054.6 and Section 1054.7 now include preference point protections: if a tag was obtained through a modified-preference point drawing, the transferee does not lose preference points for that species, and the transferor does not receive reinstatement of points lost from drawing.

Section 1054.6 adds a new provision stating that if the commission or department adopts any requirement making a person ineligible to draw a tag after previously being awarded one for that species, that ineligibility applies to the transferor rather than the transferee.

Section 1054.7 now includes disabled veterans as eligible recipients of transferred tags, in addition to youth with life-threatening illnesses or permanent physical disabilities. The term 'disabled veteran' is defined by reference to Section 3033 of the Fish and Game Code.

The fee structure in Section 1054.7 changed from collecting a fee from the transferor (donor) to collecting fees from the organization for both registration and processing of transfer requests. All revenues still go to the Big Game Management Account.

Both new sections now include explicit authority for the department to adopt regulations to implement the programs, and both begin with 'Notwithstanding Section 1052' to clarify they override the general anti-transfer prohibition.

Added Section 1054.6 requiring the Department of Fish and Wildlife to establish a hunting tag transfer program allowing a person to transfer a big game tag (antelope, elk, deer, bear, bighorn ram) to their child or grandchild who is 17 or younger, holds a valid hunting license, and is accompanied by the parent/guardian/grandparent during the take.

Added Section 1054.7 requiring the department to establish a program allowing a person to donate a big game tag to a 501(c)(3) nonprofit hunting organization that provides hunting opportunities to children (17 or younger) with life-threatening medical conditions or permanent physical disabilities, with the child accompanied by an organization member during the take.

Both new sections authorize the department to collect a fee from the transferor to cover reasonable costs of the tag transfer, with all revenues deposited into the Big Game Management Account (Section 3953).

The original Section 1005 amendment (educational exhibits and materials modernization) was renumbered as Section 3 of the bill to accommodate the two new sections added before it. The substance of that provision is unchanged.