California Waterfowl's advocacy team works actively with lawmakers from both parties to promote legislation beneficial to wetlands and hunting. We also fight detrimental bills, either opposing them outright or, when they're certain to pass, working to minimize detrimental impacts.
While CWA is focused on waterfowl, we often take positions on legislation affecting other species or forms of hunting because we know our members have diverse conservation and hunting interests. We also lobby on firearm legislation that could negatively affect law-abiding hunters.
If you sign up for our action alerts, we'll let you know when it's time to contact your representatives in Sacramento or Washington, D.C., and we'll make it easy for you to contact them by email through our Voter Voice system.
STATE LEGISLATION
There are dozens of bills that CWA is currently monitoring. Below are the ones that we have thus far taken a position on and are actively lobbying:
SUPPORT
Lifetime Hunting & Fishing Licenses/Gold Star Families
AB 293 (Juan Alanis): Would provide lifetime hunting and fishing licenses for immediate family members of service killed in action. A coalition of organizations letter of support for AB 293 can be found here.
State Property/Youth Shooting & Non-Profit Events
AB 1507 (James Gallagher): Would provide an exemption for nonprofit groups from the prohibition on selling firearms and ammunition on State property. A coalition of organizations letter of support for AB 1507 can be found here.
Sustainable Groundwater Management Act/Wetlands
AB 828 (Damon Connolly): Bill to be amended to provide an exemption for certain managed wetlands rom groundwater pumping restrictions/fees under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA).
Junior Hunting License/Age Eligibility
SB 772 (Brian Dahle): Would increase the junior hunting license age eligibility from 15 to 17 years of age. CWA and many other organizations came together to pen a letter of support which can be found here.
Sales Tax/Gun Safety Systems
SB 243 (Kelly Seyarto): Would provide a sales tax exemption for the purchase of gun safes, trigger locks and other firearm safety systems.
OPPOSE
Firearms/Ammo Excise Tax
AB 28 (Jesse Gabriel): Bill to be amended to place a tax on the sale of firearms and ammunition. 20 organizations have come out in opposition to this bill, the full letter can be read here.
Gun Liability Insurance Requirement
SB 8 (Nancy Skinner): Bill to be amended to require all gun owners to purchase liability insurance for their firearms. A dedicated and passionate coalition of 20 organizations has created a letter opposing this bill as well and that letter can be read here.
Firearms/Dealer Requirements
SB 368 (Anthony Portantino, D-La Cañada Flintridge): Would prohibit the raffling of handguns, including for the purposes on raising funds for nonprofits.
Federal LEGISLATION
Fiscal Year 2024 Operations and Maintenance Funding for the U.S. National Wildlife Refuge System
On behalf of the undersigned hunting and fishing organizations, thank you for your ongoing work to enhance our nation’s prized public lands. Without a supportive budget or your efforts to maintain it, we would be unable to properly steward our waters and lands, nor could we safely fish or hunt on them. Read more of the letter here.
CWA Sites Support Letter to California State Water Resources Control Board
On behalf of the California Waterfowl Association, I write to encourage the State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) to approve a water right permit for the proposed Sites Reservoir, a unique, multi-benefit water storage project that would provide a reliable water supply for California’s environment, communities, and farms for decades to come. Read the entire letter here.
