BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 384
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ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB
384 (Perea)
As Introduced February 18, 2015
Majority vote
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|Committee |Votes |Ayes |Noes |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|----------------+------+--------------------+----------------------|
|Health |17-0 |Bonta, Maienschein, | |
| | |Bonilla, Burke, | |
| | |Chávez, Chiu, | |
| | |Gomez, Gonzalez, | |
| | |Lackey, Nazarian, | |
| | |Patterson, | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | |Ridley-Thomas, | |
| | |Rodriguez, | |
| | |Santiago, Thurmond, | |
| | |Waldron, Wood | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|----------------+------+--------------------+----------------------|
|Appropriations |17-0 |Gomez, Bigelow, | |
| | |Bonta, Calderon, | |
| | |Chang, Daly, | |
| | |Eggman, Gallagher, | |
| | | | |
AB 384
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| | | | |
| | |Eduardo Garcia, | |
| | |Gordon, Holden, | |
| | |Jones, Quirk, | |
| | |Rendon, Wagner, | |
| | |Weber, Wood | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
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SUMMARY: Repeals the current January 1, 2016 sunset date, thereby
making permanent, the $100 food safety fee within the California
Department of Public Health (DPH) paid by persons engaged in
manufacture, packing, or holding of processed food in California.
FISCAL EFFECT: According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee, $640,000 in annual fee revenue (Food Safety Fund) will
continue to fund three DPH staff and activities in the food
industry training and education program (Program).
COMMENTS: According to the author, the fee whose sunset is being
removed is used to fund the education and training of food
processors in the safe handling and prevention of microbial
contamination of food products. The author notes the food
processing industry requested and supported the initiation of the
fee to fund the program, and has requested and supported previous
extensions of the fee. With the proven success of the Program,
the industry is now comfortable with the removal of the sunset,
making the fee and program permanent.
In response to dramatic news stories of food contamination, AB
1559 (Cardoza), Chapter 727, Statutes of 1997, established the
Program within DPH. AB 1559 contained sunset provisions for the
program that were subsequently legislatively extended several
times. The current program will expire on January 1, 2016. This
AB 384
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bill would delete the sunset provision entirely, making the
Program and fee permanent.
The California League of Food Processors, sponsor of this bill,
recognizes that safety training provided by this program is
critical in avoiding contamination incidents. The California
Chamber of Commerce supports this bill, noting that the Program
has been a highly effective collaboration between industry and
government, particularly providing multi-lingual training to food
processing workers on the basics of food safety, sanitation and
best management practices.
There is no known opposition to this bill.
Analysis Prepared by:
Dharia McGrew / HEALTH / (916) 319-2097 FN:
0000600