On Tuesday, Senate Bill 1410 (Wolk/Nielsen) passed out of the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Water on consent. SB 1410 will appropriate monies to 36 counties for outstanding obligations related to Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) payments. SB 1410 is coauthored by a bipartisan group of 25 legislators from many of the counties impacted by this issue. The bill text can be accessed here.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) owes 36 counties more than $17 million in past due PILT payments - all while local governments are doing everything within their power to reduce expenses and tighten budgets in order to fund critical programs and services for residents. In addition to requesting $19 million for outstanding obligations, SB 1410 will also appropriate $2 million in annual funding for PILT.
California PILT was established in 1949 to offset adverse impacts to county property tax revenues that result when the state acquires private property for wildlife management areas. The DFW has failed to make annual PILT payments in more than a decade. SB 1410 is now headed to the Senate Appropriations Committee. RCRC urges member counties to contact the Senate Appropriations Committee and express support for SB 1410.
RCRC’s press release on SB 1410’s passage out of the Senate Policy Committee can be accessed here.
For additional information and to share county support letters, please contact RCRC Legislative Advocate Kathy Mannion at (916) 447-4806 or kmannion@rcrcnet.org.