AMENDED IN SENATE AUGUST 18, 2026

AMENDED IN SENATE AUGUST 11, 2026

AMENDED IN SENATE JULY 6, 2026

AMENDED IN SENATE JUNE 22, 2026

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION

95

Introduced by Committee on Water, Parks, and Wildlife (Assembly Members Papan (Chair), Jeff Gonzalez (Vice Chair), Alanis, Ávila Farías, Bains, Bennett, Boerner, Caloza, Hart, Celeste Rodriguez, and Rogers)

March 12, 2026

An act to amend Section 675 of the Harbors and Navigation Code, to amend Sections 9853 and 9860 of the Vehicle Code, and to amend Section 10722.4 of the Water Code, relating to public resources.

Vote: majority   Appropriation: no   Fiscal committee: yes   Local program: no

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

(1) Existing law establishes a registration fee and a renewal fee for vessels, and imposes an additional fee, known as the invasive mussel infestation prevention fee, on a vessel required to pay the registration fee or renewal fee, as provided. Existing law requires the department Department of Motor Vehicles to issue a vessel an invasive mussel infestation prevention sticker to the vessel owner upon payment of the invasive mussel infestation prevention fee. Existing law authorizes a vessel operator to be issued a citation for operating a vessel or a recreational vessel in nonmarine waters without a valid state-issued invasive mussel infestation prevention sticker.

This bill would exempt from that provision relating to citations a person who operates a vessel or recreational vessel on the waters of Lake Tahoe or Topaz Lake, as determined by the department, and Lake if the vessel is registered in the State of Nevada, the State of Nevada has a program in effect for the management of aquatic invasive species, and the vessel displays a current aquatic invasive species decal issued by the State of Nevada.

(2) The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act requires the Department of Water Resources to prioritize categorize each groundwater basins, basin as high-, medium-, low-, or very low priority, as specified. Existing law requires all groundwater basins designated as high- or medium-priority basins by the department to be managed under a groundwater sustainability plan or coordinated groundwater sustainability plans, except as specified. plans. The act requires that, any time the department updates certain water basin boundaries pursuant to a specified provision, the department reassess the prioritization of basins, as prescribed.

This bill would instead require, require the department, any time the department updates those boundaries, to reassess the prioritization of groundwater basins for which boundary changes have been made, and would require the department on or before January 1, 2035, and not less than every 10 years thereafter, to review, and determine, whether a reprioritization of all groundwater basins is warranted.

(3) This bill would make technical, nonsubstantive changes.

(4) This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for Lake Tahoe and Topaz Lake.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

Section 675 of the Harbors and Navigation Code is amended to read:

675.

(a) In addition to the fees imposed pursuant to paragraphs (1) and (2) of subdivision (b) of Section 9853 or Section 9860 of the Vehicle Code, there shall be a separate invasive mussel infestation prevention fee in an amount to be determined by the department as follows:

(1) If the invasive mussel infestation prevention fee is due between January 1 and December 31 of any even-numbered year, the fee shall not be less than fifteen dollars ($15) and not more than twenty-one dollars ($21).

(2) If the invasive mussel infestation prevention fee is due between January 1 and December 31 of any odd-numbered year, the fee shall not be less than thirty dollars ($30) and not more than forty-two dollars ($42).

(3) The amounts in paragraphs (1) and (2) shall be adjusted for inflation every odd-numbered year using the California Consumer Price Index to the nearest whole dollar value.

(b) In determining the amount of the fee imposed pursuant to subdivision (a), the department shall establish, and consult with, a technical advisory group consisting of interested persons, including, but not limited to, recreational boating and reservoir operation representatives. The members of the advisory group shall be appointed by the director.

(c) The department shall adopt emergency regulations to prescribe procedures for the collection and use of the invasive mussel infestation prevention fee for the purposes of this article. The emergency regulations shall include rules for administering the grants awarded pursuant to Section 676.

(d) All revenues collected from the fee established pursuant to this section shall be deposited into the Harbors and Watercraft Revolving Fund, and, upon appropriation by the Legislature, shall be expended solely for the purposes set forth in Section 676.

(e) The fee established pursuant to this section shall not apply to vessels that are used exclusively in marine waters.

(1) Upon payment of the fee established pursuant to this section, the Department of Motor Vehicles shall issue an invasive mussel infestation prevention sticker.

(2) Failure to pay the fee established pursuant to this section does not prohibit the Department of Motor Vehicles from issuing registration of a vessel.

(3) (A) A vessel operator may be issued a citation for operating a recreational vessel in nonmarine waters without a valid state-issued invasive mussel infestation prevention sticker.

(B) Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), a vessel that is exempt pursuant to Section 5211 of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations shall not be cited pursuant to subparagraph (A).

SEC. 2.

Section 9853 of the Vehicle Code is amended to read:

9853.

(a) The owner of each vessel requiring numbering by this state shall file an initial application for a number with the department or with an agent authorized by the department on forms approved by the department. The forms shall be prepared in cooperation with the Division of Boating and Waterways. The application shall contain the true name and address of the owner, the true name and address of the legal owner, if any, and the hull identification number of the vessel as may be required by the department. The application shall be signed by the owner of the vessel and shall be accompanied by a fee of nine dollars ($9), in addition to the fees required under subdivision (b).

(b) (1) Whenever the fee for original registration of a vessel becomes due between January 1 and December 31 of any even-numbered year, the application shall be accompanied by a fee of ten dollars ($10), in addition to any other fees that are then due and payable.

(2) Whenever the fee for original registration of a vessel becomes due, or is filed with the department, between January 1 and December 31 of any odd-numbered year, the application shall be accompanied by a fee of twenty dollars ($20) in addition to any other fees that are then due and payable.

(c) (1) The department shall collect, from resident and nonresident vessel owners, separate from the original registration fee, an invasive mussel infestation prevention fee in an amount established by the Division of Boating and Waterways pursuant to Section 675 of the Harbors and Navigation Code.

(2) Upon payment of the fee described in paragraph (1), the department shall issue a vessel an invasive mussel infestation prevention sticker to the vessel owner.

(3) Failure to pay the invasive mussel infestation prevention fee described in paragraph (1) does not prohibit the department from issuing registration of a vessel.

(4) (A) A vessel operator may be issued a citation for operating a recreational vessel in nonmarine waters without a valid state-issued invasive mussel infestation prevention sticker.

(B) Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), a vessel that is exempt pursuant to Section 5211 of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations shall not be cited pursuant to subparagraph (A).

(C) Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), a A person who operates a vessel on the waters of Lake Tahoe or Topaz Lake, as determined by the department, and Lake shall not be cited pursuant to subparagraph (A) if the vessel is registered in the State of Nevada, the State of Nevada has a program in effect for the management of aquatic invasive species, and the vessel displays a current aquatic invasive species decal issued by the State of Nevada, shall not be cited pursuant to subparagraph (A). Nevada.

(d) The department shall provide documentation of its administrative costs pursuant to this section to the Division of Boating and Waterways.

SEC. 3.

Section 9860 of the Vehicle Code is amended to read:

9860.

(a) Certificates of number shall be renewed before midnight of the expiration date by presentation of the certificate of number last issued for the vessel or by presentation of a potential registration card issued by the department.

(b) The fee for renewal shall be twenty dollars ($20) for each two-year period, and shall accompany the request for renewal.

(c) If the certificate of number and potential registration card are unavailable, the fee specified in Section 9867 shall not be paid.

(d) (1) The department shall collect, from resident and nonresident vessel owners, separate from the fee for renewal, an invasive mussel infestation prevention fee in an amount established by the Department of Boating and Waterways pursuant to Section 675 of the Harbors and Navigation Code.

(2) Failure to pay the fee described in this subdivision does not prohibit the department from issuing renewal registration of the vessel.

(3) (A) A vessel operator may be issued a citation for operating the vessel in nonmarine waters without a valid state-issued invasive mussel infestation prevention sticker.

(B) Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), a vessel that is exempt pursuant to Section 5211 of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations shall not be cited pursuant to subparagraph (A).

(C) Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), a A person who operates a vessel on the waters of Lake Tahoe or Topaz Lake, as determined by the department, and Lake shall not be cited pursuant to subparagraph (A) if the vessel is registered in the State of Nevada, the State of Nevada has a program in effect for the management of aquatic invasive species, and the vessel displays a current aquatic invasive species decal issued by the State of Nevada, shall not be cited pursuant to subparagraph (A). Nevada.

(e) The department shall provide documentation of its administrative costs pursuant to this section to the Department of Boating and Waterways.

SEC. 4.

Section 10722.4 of the Water Code is amended to read:

10722.4.

(a) Pursuant to Section 10933, for the purposes of this part the department shall categorize each basin as one of the following priorities:

(1) High priority.

(2) Medium priority.

(3) Low priority.

(4) Very low priority.

(b) The initial priority for each basin shall be established by the department pursuant to Section 10933 no later than January 31, 2015.

(c) (1) Any time the department updates Bulletin 118 boundaries pursuant to Section 12924, the department shall reassess the prioritization of groundwater basins pursuant to Section 10933 for which changes to the boundaries have been made.

(2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), on or before January 31, 2035, and not less than every 10 years thereafter, the department shall review, and determine, whether a reprioritization of all groundwater basins is warranted.

(d) If the department changes priorities pursuant to Section 10933 to elevate a basin from a low- or very low priority basin to a medium- or high-priority basin after January 31, 2015, the agency formation and planning deadlines of this part shall be extended as follows:

(1) A local agency, or combination of local agencies overlying a groundwater basin, shall have two years from the date of reprioritization to either establish a groundwater sustainability agency pursuant to Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 10723) or two years to satisfy the requirements of Section 10733.6.

(2) A groundwater sustainability agency shall have five years from the date of reprioritization to meet the requirements of subdivision (a) of Section 10720.7, except that if the reprioritization occurs before January 31, 2017, a groundwater sustainability agency subject to paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of Section 10720.7 shall have until January 31, 2022.

SEC. 5.

The Legislature finds and declares that a special statute is necessary and that a general statute cannot be made applicable within the meaning of Section 16 of Article IV of the California Constitution because of the interstate location of Lake Tahoe and Topaz Lake, and to reciprocate how the State of Nevada treats California boaters.