Amended in Assembly March 19, 2013

California Legislature—2013–14 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 38

Introduced by Assembly Member John A. Pérez

December 3, 2012

An act begin insert to add Chapter 12 (commencing with Section 49000) to Division 17 of the Food and Agricultural Code, end insert relating to food and begin delete agriculture. end delete begin insert agriculture, and making an appropriation therefor. end insert

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 38, as amended, John A. Pérez. The begin delete California Food, Farms, and Jobs Act. end delete begin insert Office of Farm to Fork. end insert

Existing law establishes the Department of Food and Agriculture, which is tasked with, among other things, promoting and protecting the agricultural industry of the state, and seeking, enhancing, protecting, and perpetuating the ability of the private sector to produce food and fiber in a way that benefits the general welfare and economy of the state. Existing law also establishes the California Healthy Food Financing Initiative for the purpose of promoting healthy food access in the state.

This bill would begin delete express the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that would establish the California Food, Farms, and Jobs Act, for the purpose of improving state programs that support local and regional farm and food system infrastructure, expanding access to healthy foods for consumers, and creating new job growth and economic development through increasing the number of direct and retail markets. end delete begin insert create the Office of Farm to Fork within the department to, among other things, work with various entities, including, among others, the agricultural industry and other organizations involved in promoting food access, to increase the amount of agricultural products available to schools and underserved communities in the state. The bill would create the Farm to Fork Account in the Department of Food and Agriculture Fund that would consist of money made available from federal, state, industry, and other sources, and would continuously appropriate the money deposited in the account without regard to fiscal years to carry out the purposes of the Office of Farm to Fork. By creating a continuously appropriated fund, the bill would make an appropriation. end insert

Vote: majority. Appropriation:  begin delete no end delete begin insert yes end insert . Fiscal committee:  begin delete no end delete begin insert yes end insert . State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

begin insert

begin insert SECTION 1. end insert   

end insert

begin insert Chapter 12 (commencing with Section 49000) is
added to Division 17 of the end insert begin insert Food and Agricultural Code end insert begin insert , to read: end insert

begin insert

 

Chapter   begin insert 12. end insert Office of Farm to Fork

 

begin insert 49000. end insert   

The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(a) There are many people in California who lack adequate
access to healthy food.

(b) The lack of access to healthy food falls disproportionately
on disadvantaged communities.

(c) These same communities also suffer from an increased rate
of obesity, diabetes, and other chronic health conditions related
to poor diet.

(d) Facilitating access to healthy food in these communities is
needed to address the gaps in the food distribution system and
help mitigate the health consequences of this inadequacy.

(e) There are many county, state, federal, and private
organizations attempting to address this issue, but there is no
state-level body charged with coordinating these activities.

(f) A state-level office, charged with coordinating and
facilitating food access, can increase the effectiveness of ongoing
programs and ensure that efforts and funding are not duplicated.

(g) The Department of Food and Agriculture is uniquely situated
to house this office because of the department’s knowledge of the
agricultural industry, and its ability to bring farmers together with
schools, community organizations, and others to increase the
availability of healthy food.

begin insert 49001. end insert   

There is hereby created in the department the Office
of Farm to Fork. This office shall work with the agricultural
industry, direct marketing organizations, food policy councils,
public health groups, schools, district agricultural associations,
county, state, and federal agencies, and other organizations
involved in promoting food access to increase the amount of
agricultural products available to schools and underserved
communities in this state.

begin insert 49002. end insert   

(a) There is hereby created the Farm to Fork Account
in the Department of Food and Agriculture Fund that shall consist
of money made available from federal, state, industry, and other
sources.

(b) Notwithstanding Section 13340 of the Government Code,
all money deposited in the Farm to Fork Account is hereby
continuously appropriated to the department without regard to
fiscal years to carry out the purposes of this chapter.

end insert

begin delete

SECTION 1.  

It is the intent of the Legislature that would enact
legislation to establish the California Food, Farms, and Jobs Act,
which would improve state programs that support local and
regional farm and food system infrastructure, expand access to
healthy foods for consumers, and create new job growth and
economic development through increasing the number of direct
and retail markets.

end delete