Friday, June 20, 2008

Legislative Update

These bills of interest continue to move through the legislative process:

• Direct Marketing – AB 2168 (Jones) Authorizes allow individuals, organizations, or entities that purchase produce or products from a farmers' market, farm stand, or retail farm stand to resell that product to another user if there is information provided to trace back the produce back to the point of production.
   
• Water Conservation – AB 21759 (Laird) Requires Department of Water Resources to adopt, by 2010, a statewide agricultural water conservation target of not less than 500,000 acre-feet to be achieved by 2020. Beginning in 2012, and every five years thereafter, the Department shall review and may increase such conservation target. Agricultural water suppliers would have to adopt, by December 31, 2012, their own numeric water conservation targets for 2015 and 2020, using water conservation practices that are technically feasible and locally cost-effective for the agency.
   
• Invasive Pests – AB 2763 (Laird)
  Requires CDFA to maintain a list of invasive animals, plants, insects, and diseases where introduction into California would or would likely cause economic or environmental harm, necessitating an eradication, control, or management action by the state. The department would be required, based on available funding, to develop and maintain a written assessment of the most appropriate options for eradication, control, or management of high priority invasives on the list, and to include specified information in the assessment if the use of pesticides would be among the appropriate responses.
   
• Milk Hearings – AB 2850 (Villines)
  Makes several procedural changes to the administrative hearing process relating to milk pooling and pricing. It also restricts any decision concerning the milk pooling plan come from only that evidence and data submitted during the hearing and is supported by evidence and data submitted. Additionally, it specifically prohibits CDFA from developing, presenting, or introducing false or misleading financial or other material or information that violates generally accepted accounting principles.
   
• Williamson Act – AB 2921 (Laird)
  The bill makes a number of changes relating to the conditions under which a landowner may cancel a Williamson Act contract in order to place other land under an agricultural conservation preserve. These include rescinding contracts and land values; rescinding contracts and agricultural conservation; easements; and, lot line adjustments.
   
• Downed Cattle/Surveillance – SB 200 (Florez)
  Prohibits school food service programs from serving meat from downed cattle. The bill also requires the installation of video surveillance in livestock and poultry slaughtering facilities to continuously record the handling and treatment of the animals. New criminal penalties are established for the inhumane treatment of livestock.
   
• Raw Milk – SB 201 (Florez)
  Provides alternative requirements for dairy farms that produce and process guaranteed raw milk and would state that dairy farms choosing to comply with the alternative requirements do not have to comply with those existing coliform bacteria standards. Under the alternative requirements, a dairy farm that produces and processes raw milk may develop and maintain an individualized Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point plan for each critical process in the production of raw milk. The plan must be approved by CDFA and the State Department of Public Health.
   
• Olive Oil – SB 634 (Wiggins)
  Clarifies the definition of olive oil; repeals current licensure provisions; conforms olive oil definitions, grades and labeling requirements to international standards; authorizes the addition of vitamin E to specified olive oils; permits a consumer to re-use a clean olive oil container, can, or drum; and, makes legislative findings and declarations.
   
• Citrus Nursery Stock – SB 1466 (Corbett)
  Requires CDFA to implement, by January 1, 2010, the Citrus Nursery Stock Pest Cleanliness Program to protect citrus nursery stock from harmful diseases, pests, and other risks and threats. The program will require producers of citrus nursery stock to comply with all agricultural practices, application specifications and deadlines, eligibility, inspection, notification, pest control, records maintenance and availability, registration, sanitation, testing, and other lawful orders issued by the secretary. It also authorizes the secretary to issue orders establishing rates or prices to cover the department's costs for its administration, testing, inspection, and other services under the program.
   
• Bio Fuels – SB 1574 (Florez)
  Defines the term "biodiesel" and would exempt an underground storage tank that contains fuel consisting of no less than 20% biodiesel from certain design, construction, and approval requirements. The bill would provide this exemption would be operative only until the effective date of regulations adopted by the board to approve an Underwriters Laboratory certification standard for underground storage tanks that contain fuel consisting of not less than 20% biodiesel, or until January 1, 2012, whichever date is sooner.
   
• California Rice Commission – SB 1623 (Yee)
  Makes extensive technical and substantive changes relating to the duties, powers and administration of the California Rice Commission. Significant changes are made to provisions covering investigations, notice of violations and civil penalties.

The next eUpdate will be distributed on July 3