Bill Text: CA AB618 | 2023-2024 | Regular Session | Amended
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: State parks: reservations.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)
Status: (Passed) 2023-10-08 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 536, Statutes of 2023. [AB618 Detail]
Download: California-2023-AB618-Amended.html
lottery system drawing for up to five of the most popular units of the state park system. The department shall determine the top units for purposes of this section based on units that have the most booking interest six months before the reservation date. The reservation drawing shall occur at least once per year for each of the selected units.
Bill Title: State parks: reservations.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)
Status: (Passed) 2023-10-08 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 536, Statutes of 2023. [AB618 Detail]
Download: California-2023-AB618-Amended.html
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Amended
IN
Senate
June 19, 2023 |
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Amended
IN
Assembly
May 18, 2023 |
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Amended
IN
Assembly
March 20, 2023 |
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE—
2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION
Assembly Bill
No. 618
| Introduced by Assembly Member Bauer-Kahan (Principal coauthors: Assembly Members Luz Rivas and Quirk-Silva) |
February 09, 2023 |
An act to add Section 5010.1.5 to, and to add and repeal Section 5010.1.6 of, the Public Resources Code, relating to state parks.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 618, as amended, Bauer-Kahan.
State parks: reservations.
Existing law establishes the Department of Parks and Recreation and vests the department with control of the state park system. Existing law authorizes the department, whenever significant savings can be achieved, to enter into a contract with any natural person, corporation, partnership, or association for the operation of a reservation system for the state park system and for the collection of state park fees in connection therewith.
This bill would require any contract the department enters into, on and after January 1, 2024, for purposes of managing the department’s reservation system, to include specified provisions, including, among other things, a provision that provides that a cancellation made within 7 calendar days of the reservation start date shall result in credit that can be used for future reservations within 5 years of the
original reservation start date, as provided. The bill would require the department to, on or before January 1, 2025, and until January 1, 2029, implement a reservation lottery system drawing for up to 5 of the most popular units of the state park system, as provided. The bill would require the department to report, on or before January 1, 2028, information regarding the reservation lottery system drawing to the Legislature.
Digest Key
Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NOBill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 5010.1.5 is added to the Public Resources Code, to read:5010.1.5.
On and after January 1, 2024, any contract the department enters into for purposes of managing the department’s reservation system pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 5010.1 shall include, but not be limited to, all of the following provisions:(a) A cancellation made within seven calendar days of the reservation start date shall result in credit that can be used for future reservations within five years of the original reservation start date.
(b) A cancellation made up to three calendar days before the reservation start date shall result in the campsite or lodging site returning to the online inventory for reservation.
(c) (1) The contractor shall send at least two reminder emails to reservation holders, as follows:
(A) Ten days before reservation start date, encouraging cancellation before seven calendar days to receive a refund of the cost of the reservation, excluding any reservation fees.
(B) Four days before reservation start date, encouraging cancellation before three calendar days to receive credits for the cost of the reservation, excluding any reservation fees.
(2) (A) The contractor shall also send an email, as part of the email communication described in paragraph (1), to the reservation holder informing them that the entire
reservation cost shall be forfeited, and no credits shall be given, if the reservation holder does not show up within 24 hours of the reservation start time and the reservation holder has not provided advance notice to staff at the state park where the reservation is held.
(B) Upon appropriation by the Legislature, the department may use the forfeited reservation costs, described in subparagraph (A), for purposes of deferred maintenance projects.
(d) Any unreserved camp or lodging sites or camp or lodging sites where the reservation holder does not show up within 24 hours of the reservation start time, as described in subparagraph (A) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (c), shall be made available for walkup reservations.
(e) The internet website used for making reservations at the state parks shall provide the real-time availability of any sites described in subdivision (d) that are available for walkup reservations.
(f) New reservations shall be limited for reservation holders who fail to show up within 24 hours of a reservation start time and the reservation holder has not provided advance notice to staff at the state park at least three times in a calendar year.
(g) Subdivisions (a) to (f), inclusive, shall only apply to a camp or lodging site that uses the online reservation system operated by, or on behalf of, the state park system.
(h) A person shall not be permitted to reserve a site at a unit of the state park system
if that person has occupied a site at the same unit of a state park system for more than 30 total days in a calendar year.
(i) A reservation at a site in a unit of the state park system shall not be for more than seven consecutive nights during peak season.
SEC. 2.
Section 5010.1.6 is added to the Public Resources Code, to read:5010.1.6.
(a) On or before January 1, 2025, the department shall implement a reservation(b) At any unit of the state park system described in subdivision (a), the department may continue to use the reservation system
authorized pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 5010.1 and as described in Section 5010.1.5 for a subset of camping or lodging sites within the state park unit for purposes of providing an analysis between the reservation drawing process established by this section and the
process described in Section 5010.1.5. existing reservation system processes.
(c) (1) On or before January 1, 2028, the department shall provide a report to the Legislature regarding the reservation lottery system drawing established pursuant to subdivision (a), including any analysis obtained pursuant to subdivision (b).
(2) A report submitted to the Legislature pursuant to this subdivision shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.
(d) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2029, and as of that date is repealed.
