Agriculture

• Agricultural Products
• Pests and Pesticides
• Miscellaneous

Note: * Denotes Urgency or Tax Levy Legislation.

Agricultural Products

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SB 835 (Hill-D) Food animals: medically important antimicrobial drugs

Codifies the Food and Drug Administration's Guidance for Industry #213 dated December 2013 by requiring the Secretary of the Department of Food and Agriculture to refuse to register a livestock drug administered in the feed or drinking water of food animals if such drug is a medically important antimicrobial drug. Prohibits a person from administering a medically important antimicrobial drug through feed or drinking water except pursuant to a veterinarian-client-patient relationship, as described.
Vetoed

SB 1076 (Walters-R) Retail sale of shelled eggs

Allows for the sale of a shelled egg that is the product of an egg-laying hen confined on a farm or place in accordance with the standards in a specified regulation adopted by the Secretary of the Department of Food and Agriculture.
(Died in Senate Agriculture Committee)

SB 1399 (Galgiani-D) Agricultural seed: county seed enforcement subventions

Extends the operation and repeal dates for provisions of the California Seed Law, including an annual county subvention for enforcement activities necessary to carry out these provisions, until 7/1/19, and 1/1/20, respectively. Deletes the provisions establishing a method of calculating apportionments based on units of activity, and instead requires the amount of the subvention designated to each participating county to be established in a memorandum of understanding between the county agricultural commissioner and the Secretary of the Department of Food and Agriculture, in consultation with the Seed Advisory Board.
Chapter 277, Statutes of 2014

AB 31 (Pan-D) Milk products: dairy industry sustainability

Makes specified legislative findings and declarations regarding challenges faced by the dairy industry.
(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

AB 38 (John A. Pérez-D) Office of Farm to Fork

Creates the Office of Farm to Fork to work with public and private organizations interested in food access to increase the availability of agricultural products to underserved communities.
(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

AB 996 (Dickinson-D) Direct marketing: certified farmers' markets

Expands certified farmers' market laws, requirements, and fees, and increases penalties for violations.
(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

AB 1038 (Gray-D) Milk products: California Dairy Future Task Force

Makes specified legislative findings and declarations regarding challenges faced by the dairy industry and requires the California Dairy Future Task Force to be continued in existence in order to evaluate and make recommendations on various issues relating to the specific purpose of developing a stable economic environment for all California dairy producers and processors.
(Died on Assembly Inactive File)

AB 1414* (Assembly Agriculture Committee) Pasteurized in-shell eggs: labeling

Defines "pasteurized in-shell eggs" and includes these eggs in the definition of an "egg handler." Exempts pasteurized in-shell eggs from current labeling requirements for "shell eggs" and instead creates new labeling requirements and sell-by date criteria for pasteurized in-shell eggs.
Chapter 11, Statutes of 2014

AB 1430 (Assembly Agriculture Committee) Pasteurized in-shell eggs

Excludes pasteurized in-shell eggs from the provisions that are generally applicable to shell eggs, and imposes labeling requirements on egg handlers of pasteurized in-shell eggs, as defined, under the Sherman Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Law.
(Died in Assembly Agriculture Committee)

AB 1437 (Mullin-D) Medically important antimicrobials: livestock and poultry

Bans the sale, in California, of a livestock or poultry product if the livestock or poultry was given a medically important antimicrobial for nontherapeutic use.
(Died in Assembly Agriculture Committee)

AB 1597 (Assembly Agriculture Committee) Food and agriculture

Extends the repeal date for provisions of the fruit, nut, and vegetable standardization program to 1/1/20, and conforms state law to a new federal regulation in regard to required medical documents for horses and other equines when crossing state borders.
Chapter 281, Statutes of 2014

AB 1990 (Gordon-D) Community food production

Permits a "community food producer," defined as a producer of agricultural products on land that is not zoned for agricultural use, to sell whole uncut fruits or vegetables, or unrefrigerated shell eggs, directly to the public, including restaurants, if the community food producer follows certain requirements.
Chapter 580, Statutes of 2014

AB 2385 (Ting-D) Market Match Nutrition Incentive Program

Creates the Market Match Nutrition Incentive Program (MMNIP) for encouraging the purchase and consumption of fresh California fruits, nuts, and vegetables by directly linking producers with certain benefit recipients; creates the MMNIP account within the Department of Food and Agriculture to collect funds from the federal Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentives Grant Program (a part of the federal Agricultural Act of 2014) and provide grants under MMNIP.
(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

AB 2505 (Yamada-D) Milk: home dairy farms: sharing, exchange, or direct sale

Defines a home dairy farm (HDF) as having three or fewer lactating cows or 15 or fewer lactating goats and sheep, as specified. Allows an HDF to directly sell or share excess raw milk, as specified. Requires an HDF to follow health and safety rules if the HDF sells or shares excess raw milk.
(Died in Assembly Agriculture Committee)

AB 2538 (Quirk-D) Dairy products: cream: bacteria and coliform bacteria limits

Increases the allowable limits on the amount of bacteria that may be present in light cream, light whipping cream, heavy cream, and whipped cream from 20,000 to 25,000 bacteria per gram and from 10 to 15 coliform bacteria per gram.
(Died in Assembly Agriculture Committee)

AB 2730 (Eggman-D) Alternative milk marketing agreements

Requires that milk purchased under an alternative milk market agreement be valued based on the announced minimum class price, as though the minimum class price had applied to the milk, for the collection of security charges and handler's average monthly milk purchases. Limits the value established for the Milk Producers Security Fund under an alternative milk marketing agreement to the value established under the alternative milk marketing agreement or the value determined using the minimum class price under the stabilization and marketing plan, whichever is lower.
(Died in Senate Rules Committee)

ACR 136 (Eggman-D) National Strawberry Month

Celebrates May 2014 as National Strawberry Month and recognizes the contributions of California strawberry farmers and the California Strawberry Commission in supporting a quintessential California crop that sustains families, communities, the environment, the California economy, and the opportunity for immigrants to pursue the American Dream.
Resolution Chapter 49, Statutes of 2014

Pests and Pesticides

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SB 1018 (De León-D) Pest control: citrus disease prevention

Requires the Secretary of the Department of Food and Agriculture to notify the California Citrus Pest and Disease Prevention Committee for any changes to program activities or increases in expenditures, and allows the Department to produce commercially available beneficial biological organisms, as specified.
Chapter 924, Statutes of 2014

SB 1117 (Monning-D) Pesticide Contamination Prevention Act

Updates and clarifies the methodology used to determine how pesticides are included on the Groundwater Protection List by deleting prescribed scientific methods and instead requiring the Department of Pesticide Regulation, in consultation with a specified subcommittee, to develop peer-reviewed methods. Requires the Department, for a pesticide whose continued use is allowed, to continuously review new data that will impact the validity of previous findings on the potential for pesticides to pollute groundwater.
Chapter 626, Statutes of 2014

SB 1332 (Wolk-D) Pesticides: carbon monoxide pest control devices

Requires the Director of the Department of Pesticide Regulation to adopt and enforce regulations that provide for the proper, safe, and efficient use of carbon monoxide pest control devices for the protection of public health and safety and the environment. Provides that violations are a misdemeanor and subject to prosecution or civil penalty.
Chapter 257, Statutes of 2014

SB 1411 (Jackson-D) Pesticides: application safety

Authorizes county agricultural commissioners to adopt regulations to prohibit the use of any pesticide within one-quarter mile of a school. Requires that schools and other specified sites within one-quarter mile of planned pesticide application be notified in writing of the planned pesticide application. Requires that signs posted in fields include the name of the pesticide, date and time of the restricted entry interval, the telephone numbers of the commissioner and pesticide applicator, and requires that the pesticide applicator telephone be answered at all times.
(Failed passage in Senate Agriculture Committee)

AB 1642 (Chesbro-D) Pest control: Pierce's Disease

Extends sunset dates for provisions relating to Pierce's Disease and the glassy-winged sharpshooter.
Chapter 231, Statutes of 2014

AB 2402 (Buchanan-D) Noxious weed management

Redistributes the proportional allocation of funds from the Noxious Weed Management Account to be used for specific activities, such as weed control and research, to the Department of Food and Agriculture to carry out provisions of noxious weed management.
Chapter 271, Statutes of 2014

Miscellaneous

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SB 507 (Cannella-R) Arson: commercial livestock farms

Authorizes a three, four, or five-year enhancement for a felony conviction of arson if the fire was set with the intent to disrupt the commercial operations of an animal feeding operation, an animal feedlot, or livestock sales yard. Adds to list of specified aggravating factors creating the crime of aggravated arson, a fire set with the intent to disrupt the commercial operations of an animal feeding operation, animal feedlot, or livestock sales yard.
(Died in Senate Public Safety Committee)

SB 675 (Wolk-D) Animal welfare: standards

Requires the Department of Food and Agriculture to develop standards for animal welfare in addition to the existing requirements to promote and protect the agricultural industry of the state, and to prevent the introduction and spread of injurious insect or animal pests, plant diseases, and noxious weeds.
(Died in Senate Agriculture Committee)

SB 741* (Cannella-R) California fairs: funding

Makes substantive changes to existing law related to the operation, oversight, and funding of the network of California fairs.
(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

SCR 92 (Galgiani-D) California Agriculture Day

Recognizes the week of 3/23/14, to 3/29/14, inclusive, as National Agriculture Week, and designates 3/19/14, as California Agriculture Day.
Resolution Chapter 14, Statutes of 2014

SJR 25 (Vidak-R) Water: agriculture

Calls on the President of the United States to use his executive authority to find innovative ways to provide more water for agriculture in California.
(Died in Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee)

AB 343 (Patterson-R) Animal cruelty: duty to provide documentary evidence

Requires any person, with certain exceptions, who willfully or knowingly documents evidence of animal cruelty to provide a copy of documentary evidence obtained to local law enforcement within 120 hours of documentation, and makes a violation of this requirement an infraction punishable by a fine of $250. Prohibits a person from being civilly or criminally liable for providing documentary evidence of suspected animal cruelty as defined, or for providing a law enforcement agency with information about the person or employer suspected of animal cruelty.
(Died in Assembly Agriculture Committee)

AB 823 (Eggman-D) Environment: California Farmland Protection Act

Requires, as part of the California Environmental Quality Act review process for a project that involves the conversion of agricultural lands, the lead agency, to (1) require that all feasible mitigation of the identified significant environmental impacts associated with the conversion be completed by the project applicant and (2) consider the permanent protection or replacement of agricultural land as feasible mitigation for these impacts.
(Died in Assembly Agriculture Committee)

AB 867 (Yamada-D) Meteorological towers: agricultural land: markings

Applies marking requirements to a meteorological tower that is located outside the boundaries of an incorporated city, on prime agricultural land, or within one mile of prime agricultural land, and requires a meteorological tower to be marked with a flashing light, as prescribed. Expands the marking requirements for meteorological towers erected between 1/1/13, and 12/13/13, to encompass towers located outside the boundaries of an incorporated city.
(Died in Assembly Business, Professions, and Consumer Protection Committee)

AB 1037 (V. Manuel Pérez-D) Employee Housing Act: agricultural land use

Adds to the definition of an agricultural land use, for purposes of the Employee Housing Act, to include 48 units or spaces operated by a governmental or nonprofit agency and designed for use by single families or households.
(Died in Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee)

AB 1069* (Dickinson-D) California Exposition and State Fair

Shifts the management and governance of the California Exposition and State Fair (Cal Expo) to a separate, independent entity within state government; requires the Board of Directors for Cal Expo to establish a policy to ensure fiscal independence; shifts all proceeds from the annual California State Fair, leasing of the fairgrounds, or the sale of Cal Expo property, from the state to Cal Expo; and requires the general manager of Cal Expo to report annually, by May 31, to the Governor on all events, operations, and the financial condition of Cal Expo.
(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

AB 1175 (Bocanegra-D) Food and agriculture: cooperative agreements

Prohibits the Department of Food and Agriculture from entering into cooperative agreements with Los Angeles County for agricultural inspection services unless a currently unspecified percentage of agricultural inspector associates are granted permanent Los Angeles County civil service status.
Chapter 588, Statutes of 2014

AB 1566 (Holden-D) Inedible kitchen grease

Expands the authorization of the Department of Food and Agriculture (DFA) and California Highway Patrol employees to enforce inedible kitchen grease laws and regulations. Extends the sunset date for the collection of annual fees charged by DFA; authorizes DFA to deny, suspend, or revoke licenses and registrations; increases violation penalties; and makes conforming and technical changes.
Chapter 595, Statutes of 2014

AB 1722 (Bigelow-R) Cattle protection

Prohibits anyone from registering or owning a cattle brand for five years if convicted of grand theft for stealing specified livestock. Requires such persons to submit any cattle in their possession for brand inspection and to pay all costs incurred; imposes a civil penalty in the amount of $1,000 per animal found in violation; and increases the service fee for cattle brand inspections.
Chapter 129, Statutes of 2014

AB 1871 (Dickinson-D) Agricultural products: certified farmers' markets

Revises provisions related to certified farmers' markets by increasing fees and penalties and expanding requirements, enforcement, and violations.
Chapter 579, Statutes of 2014

AB 1961 (Eggman-D) Land use: planning: sustainable farmland strategy

Requires counties to develop a sustainable farmland strategy.
(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

AB 2033 (Salas-D) Agricultural career technical education: grant funding

Provides a continuous appropriation of $4,134,000 each year, beginning in 2015-16, for the Agricultural Career Technical Education Incentive Program.
(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

AB 2185 (Eggman-D) Bees: apiculture: state-owned lands

Requires the Department of Fish and Wildlife to encourage apiculture (beekeeping) on Department of Fish and Wildlife-managed wildlife areas.
Chapter 338, Statutes of 2014

AB 2241 (Eggman-D) Local government: agricultural land

Changes, until 1/1/20, the rescission fee charged by a city or county when land under the Williamson Act contract or land designated as a farmland security zone enters into a solar-use easement, to 10% of the fair market value of the property. Requires 50% of the rescission fees collected to be deposited in the state General Fund.
Chapter 582, Statutes of 2014

AB 2413 (John A. Pérez-D) The Office of Farm to Fork

Creates the Office of Farm to Fork within the Department of Food and Agriculture to work with various entities involved in promoting food access, and to increase the number of agricultural products available to schools and underserved communities in the State of California.
Chapter 583, Statutes of 2014

AB 2470 (Salas-D) California Seed Law

Defines "neighbor" and adds "corporation" to the definition of "person" within the California Seed Law and prohibits the adoption or enforcement of a local ordinance that regulates plants, crops, or seeds without the consent of the Secretary of the Department of Food and Agriculture.
Chapter 294, Statutes of 2014

AB 2488* (Levine-D) Alcoholic beverages: certified farmers' market sales permit

Expands an existing provision of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act which currently allows a licensed winegrower, under specified conditions, to sell estate grown wine at certified farmers' markets to also grant the licensed winegrower the privilege of conducting limited wine tastings for consumers at certified farmers' markets under certain circumstances.
Chapter 98, Statutes of 2014

AB 2490 (Eggman-D) District agricultural associations

Revises several provisions relating to the state oversight of district agricultural associations. Authorizes these fairs to take specified actions without the prior approval of state agencies, authorizes the Governor to remove fair board members with cause, and reduces the frequency of audits for smaller fairs, among other provisions and technical changes. Specifies that a district agricultural association is not required to submit any written report to the Governor, the Legislature, or a state agency, except as specified.
Chapter 342, Statutes of 2014

AB 2539 (Ting-D) Certified farmers' markets

Makes various changes to the rules governing certified farmers' markets, including requiring all harvested, cut, wrapped, or otherwise processed meat, poultry, and fish products offered for sale in a farmers' market to be from approved sources and to be maintained at 41 degrees Fahrenheit, prohibiting smoking of nicotine products within 25 feet of the commerce area of the certified farmers' markets, and requiring food samples to be distributed by the producer in a manner that is sanitary.
Chapter 907, Statutes of 2014

AB 2602 (Eggman-D) Farm to School Program

Establishes the Farm to School Program within the Department of Food and Agriculture, contingent upon funding provided by the Legislature.
(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

Index (in Measure Order)

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Note: * Denotes Urgency or Tax Levy Legislation.