House Bill 588 Summary

• Appropriates $95,771,100 to the Department of Fish and Game for fiscal year 2015 (July 1, 2014 through June 30, 2015) across seven programs: Administration, Enforcement, Fisheries, Wildlife, Communications, Engineering, and Wildlife Mitigation/Habitat Conservation.

• Authorizes the department to employ no more than 568 full-time equivalent positions during the fiscal year, with any increases requiring specific Governor authorization and Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee notification.

• Directs the department to address budget deficits by revising fiscal year 2015 revenue estimates to account for three-year trend of $2.8 million in license fund shortfalls and to bring the budget within 5% of projected revenues.

• Requires the fiscal year 2016 budget request to detail revenue assumptions based on current law and ensure the budget does not exceed projected license revenues.

• Authorizes employee compensation adjustments including a 1% upward adjustment to the compensation schedule, continuation of existing payline exception classifications for recruitment/retention, and funding for 1% ongoing salary increases plus equivalent one-time 1% merit bonuses for state employees.