BILL NUMBER: AB 1597	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Committee on Agriculture (Eggman (Chair), Olsen (Vice
Chair), Atkins, Dahle, Pan, Quirk, and Yamada)

                        FEBRUARY 4, 2014

   An act to amend Section 42815 of the Food and Agricultural Code,
relating to food and agriculture.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 1597, as introduced, Committee on Agriculture. Fruit, nut, and
vegetable standards.
   Existing law, until January 1, 2015, requires the Secretary of
Food and Agriculture to create an industry-funded standardization
program for purposes of implementing and enforcing provisions
relating to fruits, nuts, and vegetables. Existing law requires the
secretary to adopt regulations reasonably necessary to carry out
those provisions, including establishing assessment rates and
procedures for payment of assessments. Existing law establishes an
assessment rate of $0.003 per container for commodities that are not
otherwise subject to a mandatory inspection fee, and an assessment
rate of $0.001 per container for commodities that are subject to a
mandatory inspection fee, to be deposited in the Department of Food
and Agriculture Fund and used for implementing and enforcing the
provisions specified above. Existing law requires the secretary to
exempt any commodity subject to those provisions if a petition
representing a specified percentage of the producers is submitted to
the secretary, as specified.
   This bill would extend the repeal date of the standardization
program provisions to January 1, 2020.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  Section 42815 of the Food and Agricultural Code is
amended to read:
   42815.  This article shall remain in effect only until January 1,
 2015,   2020,  and as of that date is
repealed, unless a later enacted statute, which becomes effective on
or before January 1,  2015,   2020, 
deletes or extends the dates on which it becomes inoperative and is
repealed.