(a) (1) The department’s mission is to manage California’s diverse fish, wildlife, and plant resources, and the habitats upon which they depend, for their ecological values and for their use and enjoyment of the public.

(2) The department’s core programs are the following:

(A) Management of departmental lands and facilities.

(B) Biodiversity conservation.

(C) Hunting, fishing, and public use.

(D) Enforcement.

(E) Spill prevention and response.

(F) Communication, education, and outreach.

(3) The department, as a part of a service-based budget review, shall identify strategic goals that reflect the core programs identified in paragraph (2) and support the department’s mission and statutory requirements.

(b) (1) The department shall contract with an independent entity to conduct a comprehensive service-based budget review and to consult on the development of a service-based budget tracking system. The selected contractor shall have experience conducting similar reviews and consulting on similar systems for a comparably sized state agency or department.

(2) The service-based budget review shall study and report on all of the following topics:

(A) For each strategic goal identified pursuant to paragraph (3) of subdivision (a), a definition of the service standards and essential activities required for the department to meet its mission and statutory requirements.

(B) Detailed cost estimates and staffing requirements for meeting the service standards and requirements identified pursuant to subparagraph (A), including applicable administrative costs.

(C) An analysis of how current service levels, activities, expenditures, and staffing levels compare with the service standards and costs identified pursuant to subparagraphs (A) and (B), respectively. The analysis shall explicitly identify instances and associated costs where the department is not currently meeting its mission or statutory requirements, as well as where it may be conducting activities outside its mission and statutory requirements.

(D) An analysis of the department’s existing revenue structure and program activities supported by those fund sources. The analysis shall identify any instances where the nature of the activity suggests a different funding source, such as user fees or the General Fund, or a different revenue structure that could be allowable or more appropriate to support the activity, or both allowable and more appropriate to support the activity.

(E) The service-based budget review conducted pursuant to this section shall build upon the California Fish and Wildlife Strategic Vision: Recommendations for Enhancing the State’s Fish and Wildlife Management Agencies, issued in April 2012, and the Supporting Healthy Fish and Wildlife Populations in California and Getting People Outdoors: An Expenditure Concept to Invest in Our Natural Heritage for All Californians, issued on November 2, 2017.

(3) (A) The service-based budget tracking system shall incorporate data collected for the review pursuant to paragraph (2), including the costs and staffing levels associated with both existing service levels and the service level standards developed pursuant to subparagraph (A) of paragraph (2).

(B) The service-based budget tracking system shall allow the department to continuously analyze service levels across its programs and the degree to which service standards are being met.

(C) The service-based budget tracking system shall be developed as a tool to inform ongoing and future fiscal decisionmaking processes.

(D) The service-based budget tracking system shall be the property of the state even if it is developed using nonstate funding provided pursuant to subdivision (d).

(4) To meet the goals of this subdivision, the department shall collect information necessary to inform service-based budgeting.

(c) In conducting the service-based budget review and developing the service-based budget tracking system pursuant to subdivision (b), the department shall meet all of the following deadlines:

(1) By December 15, 2018, the department shall do all of the following:

(A) Enter into a contract with the independent entity to complete the service-based budget review.

(B) Form an internal leadership team within the department to oversee and manage the service-based budget review.

(C) Form an external advisory committee to advise the department and independent entity on conducting the service-based budget review.

(D) Submit a report to the relevant budget and policy committees of the Legislature and the Legislative Analyst’s Office summarizing the status of these activities.

(2) By April 15, 2020, the department shall report in its legislative oversight hearings regarding the status of the service-based budget review.

(3) By January 15, 2021, the department shall submit the final service-based budget review report to the relevant budget and policy committees of the Legislature and the Legislative Analyst’s Office.

(4) By April 15, 2021, the department shall report in its legislative oversight hearings how the findings of the service-based budget review have been incorporated into the department’s operations and budget and any changes the department proposed to its operations or budget resulting from the service-based budget review.

(d) (1) The department may enter into one or more agreements to accept funds from any person, nonprofit organization, or other public or private entity for purposes of this section.

(2) Funding provided pursuant to this subdivision may be used by the department for department staff, development of information technology systems, or other costs associated with the service-based budget review and the service-based budget tracking system.

(3) The Department of Finance may authorize expenditure of the funds provided pursuant to this subdivision no sooner than 30 days after providing notification of the expenditure to the chairperson of the Joint Legislative Budget Committee.

(Added by Stats. 2018, Ch. 51, Sec. 1. (SB 854) Effective June 27, 2018.)