State parks: reservations.

Existing law establishes the Department of Parks and Recreation and vests the department with control of the state park system. Existing law authorizes the department, whenever significant savings can be achieved, to enter into a contract with any natural person, corporation, partnership, or association for the operation of a reservation system for the state park system and for the collection of state park fees in connection therewith. This bill would require any contract the department enters into, on and after January 1, 2024, for purposes of managing the department's reservation system, to reflect specified rules, authorizations, and requirements, including, among other things, that a reservationholder who cancels a reservation within 2 to 6 calendar days before the reservation start date may forfeit the cost of the reservation for the first night plus any reservation fees. The bill would require the department to, on or before January 1, 2025, implement a reservation drawing for up to 5 of the most popular units of the state park system, as provided. The bill would require the department to report, on or before January 1, 2028, on the outcomes of the reservation drawing to the Legislature. The bill would repeal the above-mentioned provisions regarding the reservation drawing on January 1, 2029.