Assembly Standing Committee on Arts, Entertainment, Sports, and Tourism

127. Excuse me, Mister Anderson, would you please call the roll for quorum to establish.

[Roll call]

Great. We've established a quorum. We have one measure being taken up that was referred to this Committee on a 77.2. SB 620 by Senator Pro Tem Mike McGuire will be taken up by colleague Mister Santiago on behalf of Mister McGuire, our pro tem.

We will be allowing up to two primary witnesses in support and two primary witness or two individuals in opposition get two minutes each to witness to testify. Mister Santiago, we see that he's here. Would you please start when ready?

Thank you, Chair. I appreciate your time. First one, thank the Committee, and the chair and staff for helping us make this a better bill for your analysis. Thank you very much. Bill's plain and simple assure greater and more affordable access to outdoors by establishing a framework for low-income impact camping areas. Sorry, low-impact camping areas.

It would also establish a rural tourism marketing fund so voluntary assessments on platforms facilitating low-impact camping across the state can create sustainable funding to support this rural tourism. Mister Chair, thank you again. Committee, thank you. And respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Thank you very much. We'll have your witness. You have two minutes.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Mister Chair and Members. Brian White, on behalf of Hipcamp. We're one of several online platforms that provides opportunities for private landowners to host outdoor camping activities.

First, let me start by thanking Assembly Member Santiago, Senator McGuire, and his staff for their leadership and helping move this bill into a place we believe will provide significant benefits for long-term growth for outdoor tourism.

I will note that outdoor recreation remains increasingly popular as it hit record highs in 2022, and it continues to generate billions of dollars going forward for the state's economy. Unfortunately, when it comes to low-impact camping, nearly half of all recreational campers' report difficulty in finding places to camp.

So, SB 622 creates a better, flexible opportunity for low-impact camping areas. Provided that local ordinances are adopted by the counties, that provides more a streamlined path for what we're calling low-impact camping areas. It has to be nine tents or less.

We're not talking about big commercial camping areas, and they'll provide all the local comply with all local rules with respect to fire, health and safety, trash pickup, et cetera, et cetera. This just streamlines it. So, we're just dealing with one permit instead of two permits at the local level.

And Assembly Member Santiago referenced, there's an opportunity to raise revenues through a voluntary assessment. I will repeat, voluntary assessment. It's not a mandatory fee. It's not a mandatory tax. We think this will help bring more measures for tourism at the local level.

Help with farmers, ranchers, and other folks who have properties that want to do more with this land rather than have it sit vacant. So, with that, Mister Chair, we ask for your aye vote. Thank you.

Thank you very much. Do we have anyone in opposition? I'm sorry. Support first. Please forgive me. Anyone else in support that would like to register your name. Organization, please step to the microphone. Please state your name. Your organization. And you. We're taking. Yeah, support.

Michael Anzalone and I'm here on behalf of the California Mountain Biking Coalition, the California Outdoor Recreation Partnership, and the California Trails Foundation and representing 250,000 plus recreationalists and recreationists in California, also 35 trail stewardship organizations all over California.

And we think this the bill and the model created there to create funds for the for trail programs and rural tourism is a, would be a great benefit to all. And we respectfully request an aye vote.

Great. Thank you very much. Anyone else in support, please step to the microphone. Seeing none. In opposition? Tweener, please.

Andrew Govenar on behalf of California Outdoor Hospitality Association. We're the Association that represents. First, want to thank Senator McGuire and especially his staff, Chris Nielsen, for working with us, meeting with us to address our concerns.

Right now, RV parks and special occupancy parks are regulated by HCD, who has rigorous standards to ensure that sewage, water, and electrical standards are met, and that we pay our fair share to cover those costs of enforcement.

Our concerns were always that we wanted to make sure that nine and under low-impact camping sites have the necessary permits in place for sewage, water, and electrical so that there aren't any adverse impacts to local communities and then conversely, our industry.

The new amendment now that says that they cannot actually permit a new campground until local governments have regulatory and enforcement standards in place, we believe is a good policy. And for that, we're going to go neutral because they addressed our concerns. So, thank you.

Thank you very much. Please state your name.

Karen Lange on behalf of the California Association of County Treasure.

Thank you very much. Is there anyone else who want to speak in support of this particular measure, SB 620? We had tweeners. Now, do we have any opposition? Anyone in the audience opposed to this bill? Hearing and seeing none. We will offer the Member an opportunity to close.

Thank you, Mister Chair. Ask for an aye vote.

Thank you very much. This measure. This measure has already been moved. We wanna see if there's any questions from the Committee Members. No, we already been moved and seconded. Ask the secretary to please call a roll.

The motion is do pass. The motion is do pass. [Roll call]

That measure is out. We'll keep the roll open for absent Members. Thank you very much. We'll keep the roll open for five minutes before we close the roll.

If you just hit the red button. I think you're good.

Any Members of the arts, entertainment, sports and tourism, would you please come and add on? We will keep the roll open for three more minutes before we will adjourn it. Mister Secretary, would you please call the absent Members, please? Senate Bill 620 is out 60. That concludes the business before this Committee. Stan. As adjourned.