BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 1597
Page 1
CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS
AB 1597 (Agriculture Committee)
As Amended June 3, 2014
Majority vote
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|ASSEMBLY: |75-0 |(April 24, |SENATE: |34-0 |(August 7, |
| | |2014) | | |2014) |
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Original Committee Reference: AGRI.
SUMMARY : Extends the sunset for fruit and vegetable
standardization to January 1, 2020, and conforms state law to a
new federal regulation in regards to required medical documents
for horses and other equines when crossing state borders.
The Senate amendments add requirements that horses and other
equines traveling from California to another state and returning
within 14 days obtain a certificate of health and a negative
test for equine infectious anemia dated within the previous 12
months.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Senate Appropriations
Committee, the Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA)
indicates that its costs to administer the standardization
program total roughly $2 million annually, and are funded by
assessments on shipped packages of fruits, nuts, and vegetables.
This bill's provisions related to horses would also not impact
CDFA's fiscal operations.
COMMENTS : The purpose of the state's standardization programs
is to remove from the channels of trade, fruits, nuts, and
vegetables, not complying to minimum standards for quality,
size, maturity, consistency in packaging, labeling and packing.
This protects the consumers from having products that are not
mature in the marketplace or that could have animal or packing
damage, causing the product to prematurely rot or spoil. This
is funded by a container fee assessed per container and
established by CDFA through regulation.
A recent federal regulation was adopted that requires all
equines, with specified exceptions, to be accompanied by a
Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI) when crossing state
lines. Therefore, California's CVI exemption for equines
AB 1597
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originating in California when traveling to other states and
returning within 14 days, is not permissible and must be removed
in order to comply with federal regulations. This bill seeks to
conform state law to a new federal regulation by deleting an
exemption for required medical documents for horses traveling
out of California and returning within 14 days. This bill would
bring California law into compliance with federal regulations.
Analysis Prepared by : Victor Francovich / AGRI. / (916)
319-2084
FN: 0004195