BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                       



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          |SENATE RULES COMMITTEE            |                   AB 604|
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                                 THIRD READING


          Bill No:  AB 604
          Author:   Fuller (R)
          Amended:  9/1/09 in Senate
          Vote:     21

           
           SENATE FOOD AND AGRICULTURE COMMITTEE  :  4-1, 7/7/09
          AYES:  Florez, Maldonado, Hollingsworth, Pavley
          NOES:  Hancock

           SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE  :  13-0, 8/27/09
          AYES:  Kehoe, Cox, Corbett, Denham, Hancock, Leno, Oropeza,  
            Price, Runner, Walters, Wolk, Wyland, Yee
           
          ASSEMBLY FLOOR  :  78-0, 6/1/09 - See last page for vote


           SUBJECT  :    San Joaquin Valley Quality Cotton District

           SOURCE  :     Author


           DIGEST  :    This bill repeals provisions of existing law  
          governing the San Joaquin Valley Quality Cotton District  
          authorizing an assessment upon cotton growers by the  
          district, and repeals a provision authorizing the board to  
          sue and be sued.

           ANALYSIS  :    The San Joaquin Valley Quality Cotton District  
          was formed in 1978, originally as the One Variety Cotton  
          District, which was changed to its current name in 1990, as  
          cotton growers started growing Pima cotton.  All cotton  
          grown in the district must meet criteria established by San  
                                                           CONTINUED





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          Joaquin Valley Quality Cotton Law.  The San Joaquin Valley  
          Quality Cotton District consists of Fresno, Madera, Merced,  
          Kern, Kings, and Tulare counties.  Further, an ongoing  
          variety testing program conducted by the San Joaquin Valley  
          Cotton Board evaluates promising cottons developed by  
          private and public cotton breeders.

          The San Joaquin Valley Quality Cotton District's 17-member  
          board is composed of seven cotton growers, three cotton  
          industry members from the San Joaquin Valley, one public  
          member, and four nonvoting ex-official members.  The board  
          establishes quality standards for cotton, conducts tests  
          for cotton production and quality evaluation, conducts  
          referendums, and sets the appropriate seed assessment  
          necessary for operation of the board.

          This bill:

          1. Repeals provisions which permit the San Joaquin Valley  
             Cotton Board to sue and be sued.

          2. Repeals provisions prescribing the assessment  
             authorization upon cotton growers in the district by the  
             Board.

          3. Makes other technical changes.

           Comments  

          As amended, this bill provides that the Board will no  
          longer be authorized to collect an annual assessment and  
          will continue in operation until assessment moneys on hand  
          are exhausted.

           FISCAL EFFECT  :    Appropriation:  Yes   Fiscal Com.:  Yes    
          Local:  No

           ASSEMBLY FLOOR  : 
          AYES:  Adams, Ammiano, Anderson, Arambula, Beall, Bill  
            Berryhill, Tom Berryhill, Blakeslee, Blumenfield,  
            Brownley, Buchanan, Caballero, Charles Calderon, Carter,  
            Chesbro, Conway, Cook, Coto, Davis, De La Torre, De Leon,  
            DeVore, Duvall, Emmerson, Eng, Evans, Feuer, Fletcher,  
            Fong, Fuentes, Fuller, Gaines, Galgiani, Garrick,  







                                                                AB 604
                                                                Page  
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            Gilmore, Hagman, Hall, Harkey, Hayashi, Hernandez, Hill,  
            Huber, Huffman, Jeffries, Jones, Knight, Krekorian, Lieu,  
            Logue, Bonnie Lowenthal, Ma, Mendoza, Miller, Monning,  
            Nava, Nestande, Niello, Nielsen, John A. Perez, V. Manuel  
            Perez, Portantino, Price, Ruskin, Salas, Saldana, Silva,  
            Skinner, Smyth, Solorio, Audra Strickland, Swanson,  
            Torlakson, Torres, Torrico, Tran, Villines, Yamada, Bass
          NO VOTE RECORDED:  Block, Furutani


          TSM:mw  9/1/09   Senate Floor Analyses 

                       SUPPORT/OPPOSITION:  NONE RECEIVED

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