BILL ANALYSIS ------------------------------------------------------------ |SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 604| |Office of Senate Floor Analyses | | |1020 N Street, Suite 524 | | |(916) 651-1520 Fax: (916) | | |327-4478 | | ------------------------------------------------------------ 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 AB 604 Page 2 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 3 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 **** END ****