Hunting and sport fishing licenses: reduced fees.

Senators Dahle and Allen propose expanding access to hunting and sport fishing licenses through a new reduced-fee program for California residents receiving public assistance. The Department of Fish and Wildlife would issue these licenses beginning January 1, 2027, to qualified applicants who receive CalWORKs, Tribal TANF, or SNAP benefits and have no Fish and Game Code violations.

The program maintains existing reduced-fee licenses for disabled veterans, recovering service members, and low-income seniors over 65 while adding this new category of eligible recipients. Applicants must provide documentation verifying their participation in qualifying assistance programs, with the Fish and Game Commission establishing specific documentation requirements. The base fee matches current reduced-fee license rates, subject to standard inflation adjustments.

The Department must evaluate the program's impact through October 2029, tracking license sales, administrative costs, and changes in participation rates among both new and previous license holders. The provisions expire January 1, 2032, unless renewed by future legislation. This temporary authorization allows the Legislature to assess the program's outcomes before determining whether to continue or modify the expanded eligibility.