Under existing law, a hunting license grants the privilege to take birds and mammals. Existing law provides for the issuance by the Department of Fish and Wildlife of tags that are required in addition to a hunting license to take specified animals, including antelope, elk, deer, bears, and bighorn rams. Existing law prohibits the transfer of a tag issued by the department.

The bill would require the department to establish a hunting tag transfer program that authorizes a person to transfer a tag issued for the take of one of those species to their child or grandchild, subject to specified conditions. In addition, the bill would require the department to establish a hunting tag transfer program that authorizes an organization to facilitate the transfer of a tag issued for the take of one of those species by submitting a request to the department to transfer the tag from a donor tag holder to a youth with a life-threatening illness or permanent physical disability or to a disabled veteran, as specified. The bill would authorize the department to collect certain fees to cover specified costs of those programs and would require the department to deposit revenues from those fees into the Big Game Management Account.