BILL ANALYSIS
AB 1912
Page 1
CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS
AB 1912 (Evans)
As Amended August 2, 2010
Majority vote
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|ASSEMBLY: |61-15|(June 1, 2010) |SENATE: |26-8 |(August 11, |
| | | | | |2010) |
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Original Committee Reference: AGRI.
SUMMARY : Creates the California Apiary Research Commission
(CARC) with prescribed membership, powers, duties and
responsibilities, and requires positive referendum vote by
producers, as specified, to activate.
The Senate amendments :
1)Require that the public member of CARC have an alternate
member to sever on CARC in the public member's absence.
2)Allow eligible producers to contact other eligible producers,
as specified.
3)Lower, from 20% to 15%, the number of producers needed to
request a referendum for suspension of CARC.
4)Delete the provision allowing CARC to change the $1.00
assessment rate, as specified.
5)Specifies how beekeepers are to be given public notice and
registration instruction to become eligible to vote on a CARC
referendum.
6)Change from a misdemeanor to a civil penalty the fine for
attempting to falsify, hide or fail to give properly requested
documentation, or conduct that attempts to avoid paying the
assessment to CARC.
7)Make technical and clarifying changes, and add a co-author.
EXISTING LAW authorizes various marketing and promotion
commissions (commissions) to promote the production and
AB 1912
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marketing of California agricultural commodities. Commissions
have a variety of powers covering promotion, advertising,
education, production or post-harvest research, and quality
standards and inspections. Commissions cover a variety of
commodities. (Food and Agriculture Code Section 64001-79304)
AS PASSED BY THE ASSEMBLY , this bill was substantially similar
to the version approved by the Senate.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Senate Committee on
Appropriations, this bill would cost up to $2 million per year,
paid for by an assessment on the beekeeping industry.
COMMENTS : According to the sponsor, honey bees are a critical
component of the agricultural community. Honey bees pollinate
approximately $6 billion worth of crops in California. Urban
development and the on-going water crisis have diminished bee
food supplies. Colony Collapse Disorder has reduced the
nation's bee population by 25% in the past three years. The
decline of honey bees has created issues for other agricultural
sectors that rely on honey bees for pollination of crops. The
sponsor believes there is a need for organized research to
protect the health of honey bees in order to avoid an imbalance
for our agricultural food supply.
According to the California Department of Food and Agriculture,
the purpose of marketing programs is to provide agricultural
producers and handlers an organizational structure, operating
under government sanction, which allows them to solve production
and marketing problems collectively that they could not address
individually. Current marketing programs' activities include
commodity promotion, research, and maintenance of quality
standards. Commissions provide a structure for solving problems
and also provide a vehicle for collecting funds to support
activities. There are 20 active commissions under current law.
Analysis Prepared by : Victor Francovich / AGRI. / (916)
319-2084
FN:
0005439