365 day fishing license...

Just saw this posted on fb:

  Governor Gavin Newsom has just signed AB 817-

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220AB817

About time 

Further down there is plenty of bad news:

'The bill would require the director to provide the Legislature, on or before January 1, 2025, recommendations for increasing fees for all sport fishing licenses to levels that provide adequate resources to fund sport fishing, including all necessary supporting activities, at the department."

"This bill would instead make a resident over 65 years of age eligible for a reduced fee sport fishing license if the person receives benefits from specified state programs."

Further down there is plenty of bad news:

'The bill would require the director to provide the Legislature, on or before January 1, 2025, recommendations for increasing fees for all sport fishing licenses to levels that provide adequate resources to fund sport fishing, including all necessary supporting activities, at the department."

"This bill would instead make a resident over 65 years of age eligible for a reduced fee sport fishing license if the person receives benefits from specified state programs."

I find it most helpful to view the changes of the current law since the default view just shows the new end-state: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billCompareClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220AB817&showamends=false

There we see that there are already provisions for increasing the fees to cover all costs, but the old law references 2004 prices with annual increases thereafter.  The change to the 65+ cohort seems to expand the eligibility, not decrease it.

Is it too late to buy a lifetime license?

Disabled immigrants qualify under this bill, what happened to the disabled vets who served this country.

Further down there is plenty of bad news:

'The bill would require the director to provide the Legislature, on or before January 1, 2025, recommendations for increasing fees for all sport fishing licenses to levels that provide adequate resources to fund sport fishing, including all necessary supporting activities, at the department."

"This bill would instead make a resident over 65 years of age eligible for a reduced fee sport fishing license if the person receives benefits from specified state programs."

I used to be active with United Anglers.  F&W licenses generates adequate resources, but in the past, when the state had a budget deficit, license revenue (as much as half of the revenue) was diverted to the general fund.  An agency is unable to budget on revenue when half maybe diverted to the general fund.

Enough wardens issued chicken shit tickets to influential people, F&W will never be fully funded.

Disabled immigrants qualify under this bill, what happened to the disabled vets who served this country.

. The current fees are reduced for disabled vets, was about $8.

Further down there is plenty of bad news:

"This bill would instead make a resident over 65 years of age eligible for a reduced fee sport fishing license if the person receives benefits from specified state programs."

What's bad about that?

Disabled immigrants qualify under this bill

You left out the word "legal". It's not talking illegal immigrants.

what happened to the disabled vets who served this country.

That is still included.

The soonest it will be implemented is January 2023.

Further down there is plenty of bad news:

'The bill would require the director to provide the Legislature, on or before January 1, 2025, recommendations for increasing fees for all sport fishing licenses to levels that provide adequate resources to fund sport fishing, including all necessary supporting activities, at the department."

"This bill would instead make a resident over 65 years of age eligible for a reduced fee sport fishing license if the person receives benefits from specified state programs."

That’s fine if we also get a discount for having subsidized nonconsumptive users of public lands. We should pay for the resources we use, but not more than that.

Disabled immigrants qualify under this bill

You left out the word "legal". It's not talking illegal immigrants.

Do you honestly think that anyone in this state would be allowed to check whether a person is an illegal immigrant or not? I'm a state employee, and in my job, if I ever dared to so much as utter the words "illegal immigrant" I'd be at risk of being stuck in sensitivity training hell for the rest of my natural life...

Disabled immigrants qualify under this bill

You left out the word "legal". It's not talking illegal immigrants.

Do you honestly think that anyone in this state would be allowed to check whether a person is an illegal immigrant or not? I'm a state employee, and in my job, if I ever dared to so much as utter the words "illegal immigrant" I'd be at risk of being stuck in sensitivity training hell for the rest of my natural life...

Hey, if it's that much of an easy loop hole, why don't you go down there and try to purchase a discounted legal immigrant fishing license? win for you! get one over on tha man, maaaan.

The soonest it will be implemented is January 2023.

And only if the Director authorizes that. It's left to his discretion.
EDIT: Actually it looks like the January 2023 implementation is for the electronic license. There isn't a date specified for the 365-day license, it's up to the Director.

Is it too late to buy a lifetime license?

No, and if you interpret the new language to mean the Director will hike the prices (seems likely), this is probably a good time to get one.