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New California bill would expand hunting and fishing opportunities for sick children

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An effort is underway in California to expand opportunities for hunting 
and fishing for youth with life-threatening illnesses or who have lost a 
parent in service to the state or country.

Sen. Steven Choi, R-Irvine, last week introduced legislation that would 
task California’s Fish and Game Commission with establishing a program to 
help these youth access more opportunities to fish and hunt big game or 
upland or migratory game birds. Examples of upland game birds are 
pheasant, quail and wild turkey; migratory game birds include band-tailed 
pigeons and mourning doves.

“For some young people facing serious illness, time is not a luxury they 
have,” said Choi, calling Senate Bill 1021 a measure “about compassion and 
responsible stewardship.”

“This bill creates a narrowly tailored and carefully supervised 
opportunity for them to experience the outdoors while fully respecting 
California’s conservation framework,” he said.

According to the bill’s fact sheet, youth generally have a difficult time 
obtaining the needed permits to hunt in California, given the limited 
number that exist. It said some 1,880 youth applied for the 16 big game 
tags available to them in 2018.

“This will create unforgettable experiences for youth with critical 
diagnoses and their families,” the fact sheet said. The bill “will bring 
awareness to the vital role hunting plays in managing California’s 
wildlife resources, and it will aid in the recruitment of the next 
generation of our state’s declining conservationists.”

While eligibility could vary based on a case-by-case medical review, 
Choi’s office said someone who is between 5 and 18 years old at the time 
of a referral could qualify for the program, although it would be possible 
to fulfill someone’s hunting or fishing request after turning 18 because 
of planning timelines.

The proposed legislation mirrors a similar law in Georgia, where the state 
is able to give authorization for terminally ill people who are 21 years 
or younger to hunt big game or alligators.

Choi’s bill, though, would open the program to youth under 18 years of age 
who have a life-threatening illness, defined, his office said, as a 
“progressive, degenerative or malignant (cancerous) condition that places 
the child’s life in jeopardy,” Choi’s office said. Diagnoses could include 
chronic lung diseases, cystic fibrosis or sickle cell anemia, among 
others.

And since the program is to be established by the Fish and Game 
Commission, it would also need to utilize existing wildlife management 
tools and be supervised by qualified instructors and guides, according to 
Choi’s office, and not weaken existing conservation protections.

Senate Bill 1021 counts Sen. Tony Strickland, R-Huntington Beach, as one 
of its co-authors. Sens. Christopher Cabaldon, D-Yolo, and Caroline 
Menjivar, D-San Fernando Valley, are also among the co-authors.

The bill is sponsored by Field of Dreams, a California-based nonprofit 
that helps children with serious medical diagnoses or special needs, as 
well as military and veteran families, to experience nature and outdoor 
activities.

Tom Dermody, the nonprofit’s founder, said the group is backing the bill 
“because it (Field of Dreams) recognizes that some kids cannot wait years 
for an opportunity that may never come. This bill gives them hope, dignity 
and a chance to create meaningful memories, all while respecting wildfire 
and conservation.”

In other news
• Gov. Gavin Newsom last week signed into law a bill meant to protect 
veterans. From Sen. Bob Archuleta, a Democrat whose district includes Brea 
and Placentia, the bill is designed to protect veterans from predatory and 
deceptive people or companies that claim to help them access their 
benefits.

“This is a clear victory for veterans and their families,” Archuleta, a 
U.S. Army combat veteran, said after the bill’s signing. “California is 
sending a strong message that exploitation of those who served will not be 
tolerated.”

The veterans bill had deeply divided legislators in the statehouse. 
Opponents, including Sen. Tom Umberg, a Santa Ana Democrat and a retired 
U.S. Army colonel, had expressed concerns that, while well-intentioned, it 
could create a system in which veterans are not allowed to choose how they 
file benefits claims.

https://www.ocregister.com/2026/02/15/sacramento-snapshot-new-california-
bill-would-expand-hunting-and-fishing-opportunities-for-sick-children/

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New California bill would expand hunting and fishing opportunities for sick children Stupid Republicans <stupid@stupid, org> - 2026-02-17 21:34 +0100

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