BILL NUMBER: AB 1597	ENROLLED
	BILL TEXT

	PASSED THE SENATE  AUGUST 7, 2014
	PASSED THE ASSEMBLY  AUGUST 11, 2014
	AMENDED IN SENATE  JUNE 3, 2014

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

                        FEBRUARY 4, 2014

   An act to amend Sections 9641.5 and 42815 of the Food and
Agricultural Code, relating to food and agriculture.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 1597, Committee on Agriculture. Food and agriculture.
   (1) Existing law requires any horse or other Equidae brought into
the state to be accompanied by certain health information, including
certification that the horse is free from evidence of any
communicable disease. A violation of those provisions is an
infraction or a misdemeanor, as specified. Existing law exempts from
those provisions a horse or other Equidae moved from California to
another state for no more than 14 days.
   This bill would delete this exemption. By expanding the scope of a
crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
   (2) 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.
   (3) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse
local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the
state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that
reimbursement.
   This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this
act for a specified reason.


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

  SECTION 1.  Section 9641.5 of the Food and Agricultural Code is
amended to read:
   9641.5.  (a) Any horse or other Equidae brought into this state
shall be accompanied by the following:
   (1) A certificate of health from the state of origin issued by an
accredited veterinarian. The certificate shall state that the horse
or other Equidae is free from evidence of any communicable disease.
   (2) Verification that any horse or Equidae has been tested within
the preceding 12 months and found negative to a test for equine
infectious anemia. The test shall be approved by the secretary and
conducted by a laboratory approved by the United States Department of
Agriculture, and the necessary sample shall be taken, and the
verification signed by, an accredited veterinarian.
   (b) A nursing foal of less than six months of age when accompanied
by a negative dam and any horse or other Equidae consigned for
immediate slaughter shall be exempt from the testing requirements of
this section.
  SEC. 2.  Section 42815 of the Food and Agricultural Code is amended
to read:
   42815.  This article shall remain in effect only until January 1,
2020, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted
statute, which becomes effective on or before January 1, 2020,
deletes or extends the dates on which it becomes inoperative and is
repealed.
  SEC. 3.  No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to
Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because
the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school
district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or
infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty
for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the
Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within the
meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California
Constitution.