(a) The department shall develop a revenue generation program as an essential component of a long-term sustainable park funding strategy. On or before July 1, 2014, and annually thereafter, the department shall assign a revenue generation target to each district under the control of the department. The department shall develop guidelines for districts to report the use of funds generated by the revenue generation program, and shall post information and copies of the reports on its Internet Web site.
(b) The California State Park Enterprise Fund is hereby created in the State Treasury as a working capital fund, and the revenue shall be available to the department upon appropriation by the Legislature for capital outlay or support expenditures for revenue generating investments in state parks. These investments may include, but are not limited to, planning and implementation of a statewide electronic fee collection system that includes installation of modern fee collection equipment and technologies to enhance collection of state park users fees and that will enable park users to pay fees with commonly used forms of electronic fund transfers, including, but not limited to, credit and debit card transactions, and other park revenue generating projects, and shall be available for encumbrance and expenditure until June 30, 2019, and for liquidation until June 30, 2021.
(1) The department shall prepare guidelines for districts to apply for funds for capital projects that are consistent with this subdivision.
(2) The guidelines prepared pursuant to this subdivision shall require all of the following:
(A) A clear description of the proposed use of funds.
(B) A timeframe of implementation of the capital project.
(C) A projection of revenue, including annual income, fees, and projected usage rates.
(D) A projection of costs, including design, planning, construction, operation, staff, maintenance, marketing, and information technology.
(E) A market analysis demonstrating demand for the project.
(F) A projected rate of return on the investment.
(c) The revenue generated by the revenue generation program developed pursuant to subdivision (a) shall be deposited into the State Parks and Recreation Fund. Revenue identified as being in excess of the revenue targets shall be transferred to the State Parks Revenue Incentive Subaccount, established pursuant to Section 5010.6, on or before June 1, annually.
(d) Moneys transferred to the State Parks Revenue Incentive Subaccount pursuant to subdivision (c) shall be expended as follows:
(1) (A) The department shall allocate 50 percent of the total amount of revenues deposited into the State Parks Revenue Incentive Subaccount pursuant to subdivision (c), generated by a park district to that district if the amount of revenues generated exceeds the targeted revenue amount prescribed in the revenue generation program. The revenues to be allocated to a park district that fails to achieve the revenue target shall remain in the subaccount.
(B) With the approval of the director, each district shall use the funds it receives pursuant to this section to improve the parks in that district through revenue generation programs and projects and other activities that will assist in the district’s revenue generation activities, and the programs, projects, and other activities shall be consistent with the mission and purpose of each unit and with the plan developed for the unit pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 5002.2.
(C) The department shall report to the Legislature, commencing on July 1, 2014, and annually on or before each December 31 thereafter, on the revenue distributed to each district pursuant to this section.
(2) The department shall use 50 percent of the funds deposited into the State Parks Revenue Incentive Subaccount pursuant to subdivision (c) for the following purposes:
(A) To fund the capital costs of construction and installation of new revenue and fee collection equipment and technologies and other physical upgrades to existing state park system lands and facilities.
(B) For costs of restoration, rehabilitation, and improvement of the state park system and its natural, historical, and visitor-serving resources that enhance visitation and are designed to create opportunities to increase revenues.
(C) For costs to the department to implement the action plan required to be developed by the department pursuant to Section 5019.92.
(D) Pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 5010.6, for expenditures to support revenue generation projects that include, but are not limited to, staffing kiosks, campgrounds, and parking lots.
(e) The funds generated by the revenue generation program shall not be used by the department to expand the park system, unless there is significant revenue generation potential from such an expansion.
(f) Notwithstanding Section 5009, moneys received by the department from private contributions and other public funding sources may also be deposited into the California State Park Enterprise Fund and the State Parks Revenue Incentive Subaccount for use for the purposes of subdivision (c) and subdivision (d).
(g) The department shall provide all relevant information on its Internet Web site concerning how funds in the State Parks and Recreation Revenue Incentive Subaccount and the California State Park Enterprise Fund are spent.
(h) The department may recoup its costs for implementing and administering the working capital from the fund.
(Amended by Stats. 2015, Ch. 559, Sec. 6. (AB 549) Effective January 1, 2016.)
Last modified: October 25, 2018