(a) Beginning November 1, 1991, the director shall make a grant in installments to a nonprofit organization of sea urchin divers in an amount not to exceed four hundred thousand dollars ($400,000), for the organization to accomplish the following purposes:

(1) To establish a communications network among sea urchin divers, through a newsletter and such other means as are deemed necessary and appropriate by the organization, providing divers with information on policies, procedures, statutes, and regulations affecting the sea urchin fishery, meeting announcements, and for other information the department reasonably requests to be transmitted to sea urchin divers.

(2) To establish an education program on the conservation and utilization of sea urchins.

(3) To convene statewide conferences for members of the industry to meet for purposes of strengthening the industry and benefiting industry goals.

The grant shall be paid, upon submission and approval of an annual budget, in quarterly installments, in amounts deemed appropriate by the department, upon the submission to the department of progress reports which demonstrate the continued achievements of the organization toward the intended goals.

(b) Prior to making the grant, the director shall verify from the nonprofit organization’s bylaws that it is established for, among other purposes, the protection, conservation, enhancement, and promotion of the sea urchin fishery, and that its membership, including its board of directors, is composed solely of licensed commercial sea urchin divers.

(c) The grant shall be funded from revenues received pursuant to former subdivision (b) of Section 8051.1, as that subdivision read on December 31, 1995. If the department determines that the revenue received from former subdivision (b) of Section 8051.1, as that subdivision read on December 31, 1995, is not sufficient to fund the amount of the grant, including departmental overhead charges which shall be recovered from the revenues received pursuant to that former subdivision (b) of Section 8051.1, the department shall reduce the amount of the grant accordingly. The revenue received pursuant to that former subdivision (b) of Section 8051.1 shall remain available for funding of the grant program pursuant to this subdivision until that revenue is fully encumbered, or the authorized amount of the grant program is expended, whichever event is later.

(d) The revenue received pursuant to former subdivision (b) of Section 8051.1 as it read on December 31, 1995, shall first be used to reimburse the department for departmental overhead charges incurred in administering the grant.

(Amended by Stats. 1995, Ch. 615, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 1996.)