Aquaculture: registration, renewal, surcharge, and penalty fees: reports.

Existing law requires the owner of an aquaculture facility to register certain information with the Department of Fish and Wildlife by March 1 of each year, and requires the department to impose prescribed fees for registration and renewal. Existing law also requires, in addition to the registration and renewal fees, a surcharge fee to be paid at the time of registration by the owner of an aquaculture facility if the gross annual sales of aquaculture products of the facility during the prior calendar year exceed $25,000. Existing law imposes a penalty for delinquent payment of fees. Existing law, until January 1, 2023, increases those registration, renewal, surcharge, and penalty fees, as prescribed. Existing law requires the department to prepare and submit to the Legislature, on or before February 1, 2022, a report regarding the aquaculture program. Existing law requires the department, at least once every 5 years, to analyze the fees and taxes authorized for the aquaculture program to ensure that the amount of the appropriate fee or tax is sufficient to fully fund the program. This bill would extend the increased registration, renewal, surcharge, and penalty fees until January 1, 2024. The bill would require the department to prepare and submit to the Legislature a report regarding the aquaculture program every 5 years and, as part of those reports, would require the department conduct the above-described analysis of the fees and taxes authorized for the aquaculture program.