CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION

99

Introduced by Senator Gonzalez

February 21, 2025

An act to amend Section 5090.77 of the Public Resources Code, relating to public resources.

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

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

Existing law requires the Director of Parks and Recreation to establish the Outdoor Equity Grants Program to increase the ability of underserved and at-risk populations to participate in outdoor environmental education experiences at state parks and other public lands where outdoor environmental outdoor education programs take place. Existing law requires the program to award grants to public organizations, including local governments and local educational agencies, joint power authorities, open-space authorities, regional open-space districts, other relevant public agencies or nonprofit organizations, as specified.

Existing law requires the Department of Parks and Recreation to gather information on applications following each award year to evaluate the effectiveness of outdoor environmental education programs in achieving the objectives of the grant program.

This bill would make a nonsubstantive change to this provision.

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

SECTION 1.

Section 5090.77 of the Public Resources Code is amended to read:

5090.77.

(a) The department shall gather information from applicants following each award year for purposes of evaluating the effectiveness of outdoor environmental education programs in achieving the objectives of the grant program. Notwithstanding Section 10231.5 of the Government Code, the department shall annually summarize and report this information for the previous award year to the appropriate budget and fiscal committees of the Legislature. The information in the annual report shall include the total number of children served, the total number and types of entities that received grant awards, appropriate recommendations to improve the grant program, partnerships formed, educational objectives achieved, educational objectives achieved, partnerships formed, the total number of applications received, and the total number of children who would have been served had all applicants for the award year received grant awards.

(b) A report required pursuant to subdivision (a) shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.