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CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION
94
Introduced by Assembly Member Hadwick
February 19, 2026
An act to amend, repeal, and add Section 1052 of, and to add and repeal Sections 1054.6 and 1054.7 of, Section 1054.6 of, the Fish and Game Code, relating to hunting.
Vote: majority Appropriation: no Fiscal committee: yes Local program: no
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST
The California Constitution establishes the Fish and Game Commission and provides for the delegation to the commission of powers relating to the protection and propagation of fish and game. Existing law places the Fish and Game Commission in the Natural Resources Agency.
Under existing law, a hunting license grants the privilege to take birds and mammals. Existing law provides for the issuance by the Department of Fish and Wildlife of tags that are required in addition to a hunting license to take specified animals, including antelope, elk, deer, bears, and bighorn rams. Existing law prohibits the transfer of a tag issued by the department.
This bill would require the commission to establish a hunting tag transfer program that authorizes a person to transfer a
tag issued for the take of one of those species to their child or grandchild, subject to specified conditions. In addition, the bill would require the
commission to establish a hunting tag transfer program that authorizes an organization to facilitate the transfer of a tag issued for the take of one of those species by submitting a request to the department to transfer the tag from a donor tag holder to a youth with a life-threatening illness or permanent physical disability or to a disabled veteran, as specified. The bill would require the department to collect certain fees to cover specified costs of those programs and would require the department to deposit revenues from those fees a fee to cover the reasonable costs of transferring a tag and would require the department to deposit the revenues from the fee into the Big Game Management Account. The bill would require the department to, on or before January 1, 2032, prepare and submit a report to the relevant
legislative policy and budget committees in both houses of the Legislature regarding the program that authorizes an organization to facilitate the transfer of a tag, as provided. The bill would repeal these provisions on January 1, 2033.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 1052 of the Fish and Game Code is amended to read:
1052.
Except as authorized pursuant to Sections 1054.6 and 1054.7, Section 1054.6, it is unlawful for any person to do any of the following:
(a) Transfer any license, tag, stamp, permit, application, or reservation.
(b) Use or possess any license, tag, stamp, permit, application, or reservation that was not lawfully issued to the user or possessor thereof or that was obtained by fraud, deceit, or the use of a fake or counterfeit application form.
(c) Use or possess any fake or counterfeit license, tag, stamp, permit, permit application form, band, or seal, made or used for the purpose of evading any of the provisions of this code, or regulations adopted pursuant thereto.
(d) Predate, fail to date, or alter any date of any license, tag, or permit.
(e) Postdate the date of application or the date of issuance of the license, tag, or permit. This subdivision does not apply to the date that a license, tag, or permit is valid.
(f) Alter, mutilate, deface, duplicate, or counterfeit any license, tag, permit, permit application form, band, or seal, or entries thereon, to evade the provisions of this code, or any regulations adopted pursuant thereto.
(g) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2033, and as of that date is repealed.
SEC. 2.
Section 1052 is added to the Fish and Game Code, to read:
1052.
It is unlawful for any person to do any of the following:
(a) Transfer any license, tag, stamp, permit, application, or reservation.
(b) Use or possess any license, tag, stamp, permit, application, or reservation that was not lawfully issued to the user or possessor thereof or that was obtained by fraud, deceit, or the use of a fake or counterfeit application form.
(c) Use or possess any fake or counterfeit license, tag, stamp, permit, permit application form, band, or seal, made or used for the purpose of evading any of the provisions of this code, or regulations adopted pursuant thereto.
(d) Predate, fail to date, or alter any date of any license, tag, or permit.
(e) Postdate the date of application or the date of issuance of the license, tag, or permit. This subdivision does not apply to the date that a license, tag, or permit is valid.
(f) Alter, mutilate, deface, duplicate, or counterfeit any license, tag, permit, permit application form, band, or seal, or entries thereon, to evade the provisions of this code, or any regulations adopted pursuant thereto.
(g) This section shall go into effect on January 1, 2033.
SEC. 3.
Section 1054.6 is added to the Fish and Game Code, to read:
1054.6.
(a) Notwithstanding Section 1052, the commission shall establish a hunting tag transfer program that authorizes a person to transfer a tag, subject to the following conditions:
(1) The person transfers a tag issued to them pursuant to Section 331, 332, 4332, 4751, or 4902.
(2) The person is the parent, legal guardian, or grandparent of the person to whom the tag is transferred.
(3) On the date of the transfer, the transferee is 17 years of age or younger, possesses a valid hunting license, and is otherwise eligible to obtain the applicable tag.
(4) The transferee is accompanied during the take authorized by the applicable tag by their parent, legal guardian, or grandparent, or any combination of those persons.
(5) If the tag was obtained pursuant to a modified-preference point drawing, as defined in the commission’s regulations, a transferee shall not lose any preference points for the particular species as a result of the transfer of the tag pursuant to the program. The transferor shall not receive any reinstatement of preference points lost as a result of drawing a tag.
(6) For a tag for a particular species that may only be drawn once, a person may transfer that tag to a transferee. The ineligibility to draw another tag for that particular species shall apply to the transferor and not to the transferee.
(b) The department shall collect a fee from the transferor to cover the reasonable cost of transferring a tag pursuant to this section and shall deposit the revenues from the fee into the Big Game Management Account created pursuant to Section 3953.
(c) The commission shall adopt regulations to implement this section.
(d) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2033, and as of that date is repealed.
Section 1054.7 is added to the Fish and Game Code, to read:
1054.7.
(a) Notwithstanding Section 1052, the commission shall establish a hunting tag transfer program that authorizes an organization to facilitate the transfer of a tag issued pursuant to Section 331, 332, 4332, 4751, or 4902 in accordance with all of the following requirements:
(1) An organization shall be eligible to facilitate the transfer of a tag pursuant to the program if it meets all of the following criteria:
(A) It is a nonprofit organization as described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 that has goals and objectives directly related to the management and conservation of big game, upland game, and migratory game species, primarily represents the interests of persons licensed pursuant to Section 3031, and provides hunting opportunities to youth with life-threatening illnesses or permanent physical disabilities or to disabled veterans.
(B) It has a demonstrated history of providing hunting opportunities to any of the persons described in subparagraph (A).
(C) It meets any other eligibility criteria established by the commission.
(2) The commission shall authorize an organization that meets the eligibility criteria described in, or established pursuant to, paragraph (1) to register with the department for purposes of the program.
(3) A person shall be eligible to receive a tag pursuant to the program if they are either of the following:
(A) A youth with a life-threatening illness or permanent physical disability who, on the date of the take, will be 17 years of age or younger and who possesses a valid hunting license and is otherwise eligible to obtain the applicable tag.
(B) A disabled veteran who possesses a valid hunting license and is otherwise eligible to obtain the applicable tag.
(4) An organization registered pursuant to paragraph (2) may submit a request to the department to transfer a tag from a donor tag holder to an eligible recipient. The request shall contain all of the following:
(A) A signed written statement from the tag holder stating they are voluntarily donating the tag to an eligible recipient identified by the organization.
(B) Proof, as determined by the department, that the recipient meets the eligibility criteria set forth in paragraph (3).
(C) The unused tag.
(D) A description of the hunting opportunity to be provided pursuant to paragraph (6).
(5) If the department determines that a request contains all of the information required by paragraph (4), the department shall transfer the tag to the person identified by the organization.
(6) (A) After a tag has been transferred pursuant to paragraph (5), the organization shall provide a hunting opportunity to the tag recipient that allows for the person to take the animal authorized by the applicable tag.
(B) If the tag recipient is a youth, the youth shall be accompanied by their parent, legal guardian, or grandparent, or any combination of those persons, and a person from the organization during the take of the animal.
(C) If the tag was obtained pursuant to a modified-preference point drawing, as defined in the commission’s regulations, a transferee shall not lose any preference points for the particular species as a result of the transfer of the tag pursuant to the program. The transferor shall not receive any reinstatement of preference points lost as a result of drawing a tag.
(D) If the commission or department adopts a requirement that makes a person ineligible to draw a tag for a particular species after the person has previously been awarded a tag for that species, that ineligibility requirement shall apply to the transferor and not to the transferee.
(b) The department shall collect a fee from the organization to cover the reasonable cost of registering the organization pursuant to this section, and a fee to cover the reasonable cost of processing a request to transfer a tag pursuant to the program. The department shall deposit the revenues from any fee established pursuant to this subdivision into the Big Game Management Account created pursuant to Section 3953.
(c) The commission shall adopt regulations to implement the program.
(d) (1) On or before January 1, 2032, the department shall prepare and submit a report to the relevant legislative policy and budget committees in both houses of the Legislature. The report shall include, but is not limited to, the following:
(A) The number and types of opportunities provided to youth with life-threatening illnesses pursuant to the program and the number of youth who participated in those opportunities. The date or dates of each opportunity and which participating nonprofit organization assisted with the opportunity.
(B) Recommendations, if any, to improve the program. The department may solicit recommendations from stakeholders and the public.
(C) All department and commission costs in developing and implementing the program and revenues, if any, associated with the program.
(2) For purposes of the report described in paragraph (1), data collection efforts shall avoid duplication and data collected for other purposes shall be used to the extent feasible.
(3) A report submitted pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.
(e) For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:
(1) “Disabled veteran” has the same meaning as defined in Section 3033.
(2) “Life-threatening illness” means an illness that can lead to a possibility of a termination of life within five years or less, as stated in writing by the patient’s attending physician or surgeon.
(3) “Physical disability” has the same meaning as defined in Section 12926 of the Government Code.
(f) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2033, and as of that date is repealed.