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AB 616

Relating to: funding for reimbursements to municipalities for required office hours for in-person absentee voting and making an appropriation. (FE)

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Scott Krug

AB 616 (CA) lets DPR give free, day-use state park vehicle passes to the California State Library to support the Parks Pass Program, subject to legislative funding.

Read first time and referred to committee on Government Operations, Labor and Economic Development
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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · AB 616

Summary — AB 616 (documents provided contain two different measures labeled “AB 616”; see note)

Note: The materials you provided appear to mix two distinct bills both labeled “AB 616” in different jurisdictions and with different subjects. One is a California measure introduced by Assemblymember Caloza concerning state parks and the California State Library Parks Pass Program. The other is a Wisconsin-style Assembly substitute amendment (Representative Krug) that provides a supplemental appropriation to reimburse municipalities for required in‑person absentee voting office hours. Below are concise, separate summaries of each measure based on the supplied documents.

California — AB 616 (Caloza): Department of Parks and Recreation — California State Library Parks Pass Program

  • Purpose: Authorize the Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) to provide vehicle day‑use annual state park passes, free of charge, to the California State Library to support the California State Library Parks Pass Program.
  • Key provision:
    • Adds Section 5010.8 to the Public Resources Code: “At the discretion of the department, and upon appropriation by the Legislature for this purpose in the annual Budget Act or another statute, the department may issue vehicle day use annual passes, free of charge, to the California State Library to support the California State Library Parks Pass Program.”
    • The DPR may only provide passes if (1) the department elects to do so and (2) the Legislature appropriates funds for the program.
  • Who’s affected:
    • Department of Parks and Recreation (administrative discretion and implementation).
    • California State Library (recipient and program manager/distributor).
    • Library patrons and potential state park visitors who receive or use passes.
    • Potential fiscal exposure for state park day‑use revenues, contingent on legislative appropriation.
  • Procedural/timeline highlights:
    • Introduced Feb 13, 2025.
    • Referred through Assembly committees (Water, Parks & Wildlife; Appropriations) and referred to Senate committees (Natural Resources & Water).
    • As of the latest dated documents, the bill text and digest were consistent across committee and floor documents; the action history shows committee referrals and “held under submission” status in August 2025.

Wisconsin-style Assembly Substitute (labeled AB 616 in your materials) — Municipal reimbursement for in‑person absentee voting (Representative Krug)

  • Purpose: Provide state supplemental appropriation funding to reimburse municipalities for required office hours that municipal clerk offices or alternate absentee voting sites must remain open to offer in‑person absentee voting during spring or general elections.
  • Key provisions/amounts:
    • Original amendment language referenced a $10 million supplemental appropriation to the Joint Committee on Finance (JCF) for FY 2025‑26 to the Department of Administration for reimbursements.
    • Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 (offered Nov 18, 2025) reduced the appropriation to $1.5 million for FY 2025‑26 for election administration (per the Wisconsin Legislative Council amendment memo).
  • Who’s affected:
    • Municipalities and municipal clerks (eligible to receive reimbursements for staff/operating costs associated with required in‑person absentee voting hours).
    • Department of Administration (administering reimbursements).
    • Voters who use in‑person absentee voting (indirectly supported through funding that offsets local costs).
  • Procedural/timeline highlights:
    • Substitute amendment offered Nov 18, 2025; Assembly adopted the substitute and passed the bill Nov 19, 2025 (vote: Ayes 88, Noes 9).
    • After Assembly passage, the bill was to be transmitted for further action (Joint Committee on Finance consideration for supplemental appropriation).

If you want, I can:
- Pull together a clean, single-subject brief for either the California parks‑pass bill or the Wisconsin reimbursement appropriation (whichever you intend), or
- Research current status and fiscal estimates for the California AB 616 (PRC §5010.8) or the Wisconsin Assembly Substitute Amendment (funding amounts and executive or JCF actions).

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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