State parks: real property: acquisitions and leases.

Existing law requires the Department of General Services to review and approve appraisals related to the acquisition of property conducted by the Department of Parks and Recreation.

This bill would authorize the director to waive the approvals as described above regarding state acquisition or hiring of real property and appraisals conducted by the Department of Parks and Recreation. The bill would, until January 1, 2033, additionally exempt from the requirement of contract approval by the Director of General Services the acquisition by the Department of Parks and Recreation of real property for park purposes under specific circumstances.

Existing law authorizes the Department of Parks and Recreation to acquire title to or any interest in real property, including personal property incidental to the purchase of real property and options to purchase property, that the department deems necessary or proper for the extension, improvement, or development of the state park system. Existing law requires that all land and other real property to be acquired by or for any state agency be acquired by the State Public Works Board, except as specified.

This bill would additionally exempt from this requirement, until January 1, 2033, acquisition of real property by the Department of Parks and Recreation for park purposes under specific circumstances.

Existing law authorizes the Director of General Services to exempt from the director's approval, or from the approval of the Department of General Services, any state real estate acquisition or conveyance involving not more than $150,000.

This bill would expand this authorization regarding exemption of real estate acquisition or conveyance to any state real estate acquisition or conveyance involving not more than $750,000.

Existing law authorizes the Department of Parks and Recreation to lease, for any use, all or any portion of any parcel of real property acquired for state park system purposes under specific circumstances, including, among others, that the lease is subject to approval by the Department of General Services. Existing law authorizes the Department of Parks and Recreation, with the consent of the Department of General Services, to lease real or personal property that the department deems necessary or proper for the extension, improvement, or development of the state park system. Existing law requires the Department of General Services to approve the lease of real property by the Department of Parks and Recreation for agricultural purposes.

This bill would authorize the Department of General Services to waive its consent or approval of leases as described above regarding property leases for park purposes.

Before entering into a lease contract for park and recreational areas, existing law requires lands proposed to be leased to be appraised by the Department of General Services to determine the fair market value of the lands, and requires the total amount of rent to be paid for the entire term under a lease contract to not be in excess of the fair market value of the lands, as determined by the Department of General Services, as specified.

This bill would require the Department of Parks and Recreation, rather than the Department of General Services, to conduct the appraisal of the lands proposed to be leased. The bill would require the Department of General Services to review and approve the appraisal, unless review and approval is waived by the Department of General Services.

The bill would require the Department of Parks and Recreation to submit a report, on or before January 1, 2028, January 1, 2030, and January 1, 2032, to the Legislature detailing the department's use of the authority granted pursuant to the bill regarding the acquisition of real property without the approval of the Director of General Services.

This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 15853 of the Government Code and Section 5006.1 of the Public Resources Code proposed by AB 679 to be operative only if this bill and AB 679 are enacted and this bill is enacted last.