Public resources: conservation.

Header changed from enrolled bill format (with Assembly and Senate passage dates, Chief Clerk and Secretary of Senate signatures) to chaptered format with 'STATE OF CALIFORNIA AUTHENTICATED ELECTRONIC LEGAL MATERIAL,' chapter number 401, and gubernatorial approval date of October 6, 2025.

Page numbering changed from 'AB 1520' references to 'Ch. 401' throughout the document.

Concessionaires no longer must submit all sales and use tax returns to the department. Instead, they must submit an annual financial statement prepared or audited by a certified public accountant as a standing requirement, rather than only upon the department's request.

New provision requires concessionaires to obtain and maintain a performance bond. A deposit of funds acceptable to the department may be substituted for a bond, with interest accruing to the concessionaire.

Removed the provision requiring each board, department, or office's fee accountability program to include elements of Section 25206 that the secretary determines appropriate.

New provision requires every concession to be subject to audit by the department, giving the state direct oversight authority over concession finances.

The threshold for requiring public notice to bidders on state park concession contracts is raised from more than 2 years to more than 3 years, meaning fewer contracts will trigger the competitive bidding notice requirement.

Removed the exemption that deemed the Department of Toxic Substances Control in compliance with fee accountability requirements if it complied with Section 25206. DTSC is now subject to the same fee accountability standards as other departments.

Simplified the description of waste discharge fees covered by the fee accountability section, removing specific references to storm water discharge requirements and NPDES permits under Section 12360, replacing them with the broader term 'waste discharges.'

Fixed a duplicated word ('or or') in the bank agreement package requirements and corrected a duplicated section reference in the waterfowl projects provision.

Changed 'performance bond' to 'performance surety bond' in both the legislative counsel's digest and Section 1798.5(a)(2)(G) of the Fish and Game Code, a minor terminology clarification with no practical effect.

Fixed a duplicated cross-reference in Section 3704.5 of the Fish and Game Code: 'Sections 3702 and 3460 3460 and 3702' was corrected to 'Sections 3460 and 3702', removing the accidental duplication and reordering to numerical sequence.

Removed duplicate section numbers that appeared in the bill body (a second 'SECTION 1', a second 'SEC. 3', and a second 'SEC. 4'), which were artifacts from the amendment process.

Fixed numbering errors in the legislative counsel's digest where subsections were mislabeled (two items numbered '(2)' and two numbered '(3)'), correcting them to sequential (2), (3), (4).

Removed a stray word 'No' at the end of Section 1501.5(c)(1) that appeared to be a formatting artifact.

Section 1798.5(a)(2)(G) now allows any 'surety bond' as a proposed form of security for conservation bank financial assurances, rather than limiting it to a 'performance surety bond.' This broadens the types of bonds that developers can use to secure their obligations under conservation and mitigation bank agreements.

Water Code Sections 13160.1 and 13385 were added to the list of sections the bill amends, expanding the bill's reach into additional water law areas.

Multiple sections throughout the bill were renumbered (e.g., old SEC. 4 became SEC. 3, old SEC. 5 became SEC. 4, old SEC. 6 became SEC. 5), indicating a section was removed or reorganized earlier in the bill text.

The bill title contains a drafting error where the Fish and Game Code section list reads 'Sections 1505, 1798.5 1505 and 1798.5' instead of correctly listing Section 3704.5, though the body still amends that section.

The legislative counsel's digest was renumbered (items shifted down by one) and the final item now references 'corresponding changes' in addition to updating obsolete place names.

New Section 1501.5 of the Fish and Game Code authorizes the Department of Fish and Wildlife to enter into contracts for fish and wildlife habitat preservation, restoration, and enhancement with public and private entities, and to grant funds to public agencies, Indian tribes, and nonprofit entities for the same purposes.

Section 3704.5 was modified so that waterfowl projects are governed by Section 1501.5 but are expressly exempt from paragraph (1) of subdivision (c) of that section (the Public Contract Code service contract provisions), while remaining exempt from the broader Public Contract Code and Military and Veterans Code provisions as before.

Contracts under the new Section 1501.5 are classified as contracts for services governed by Article 4 of Chapter 2 of Part 2 of Division 2 of the Public Contract Code, and work under the section is explicitly not public work or a public improvement, exempting it from Chapter 1 of Part 7 of Division 2 of the Labor Code.

The new section does not apply to: construction of office, storage, garage, or maintenance buildings; drilling wells and installing pumping equipment; construction of permanent hatchery facilities; construction of permanent surfaced roadways and bridges; any project requiring engineered design by a registered engineer; or contracts exceeding $50,000 (excluding gravel cost) for specific habitat work types (fish screens, drainage improvements, gravel/rock removal, irrigation systems, earthwork, fencing, planting, temporary storage buildings) unless the counterparty is a public agency, nonprofit organization, or Indian tribe.

All subsequent sections were renumbered due to the insertion of the new Section 1 (amending 1501.5), shifting old Sections 2 through 11 to Sections 3 through 12.

The bill now amends Section 57001 of the Health and Safety Code to require each office, board, and department within the Resources Agency to implement a fee accountability program ensuring fees are not more than reasonably necessary to fund the activities for which they are assessed.

Development or renovation of capital improvements at Will Rogers State Beach in furtherance of a concession agreement is exempt from municipal demolition, grading, building, or discretionary permits required by state law or local codes, subject only to County of Los Angeles approval and a coastal development permit from the California Coastal Commission.

The bill now amends multiple additional Water Code sections (1112, 1228.5, 1535, 1536, 1537, 1551, 5205, and 10004), amends and renumbers Section 1701 of the Water Code, and repeals Part 8 (commencing with Section 5975) of Division 2 of the Water Code.

New provisions in Public Resources Code Section 5080.18 set maximum concession contract terms: 10 years generally (extendable to 20), 50 years for multiple-unit lodging facilities with initial capital costs exceeding $1,500,000, and site-specific terms of up to 50 years at Will Rogers State Beach and up to 30 years at Old Town San Diego State Historic Park.

The department may negotiate an extension of up to 20 additional years for the Crystal Cove Management Company concession contract to allow qualification for federal rehabilitation tax credits (Section 47 of Title 26 U.S.C.) for restoration of 17 historic cottages at Crystal Cove State Park.

Public notice requirements for state park concession contracts now apply to contracts authorizing occupancy for more than 3 years (previously 2 years), requiring the department to publish an advertisement for bid at least once per week for 2 consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the county and in a major daily newspaper in the closest metropolitan area.

Concessionaires at state parks are now required to submit an annual financial statement prepared or audited by a certified public accountant, replacing the prior requirement to submit all sales and use tax returns and provide a financial statement only upon request.

The bill now requires the Department of Fish and Wildlife to be subject to specific provisions regarding waterfowl habitat protection, preservation, restoration, enhancement, and development when making grants or entering into agreements pursuant to the State Duck Stamp Account.

The definition of 'water year' for Water Conservation District groundwater reporting purposes is changed from July 1 through June 30 to October 1 through September 30 of the following calendar year.