BILL ANALYSIS Ó AB 1894 Page 1 CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS AB 1894 (Committee on Agriculture) As Amended May 18, 2016 Majority vote -------------------------------------------------------------------- |ASSEMBLY: | 79-0 | (April 21, |SENATE: | 37-0 |(August 11, | | | |2016) | | |2016) | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | -------------------------------------------------------------------- Original Committee Reference: AGRI. SUMMARY: Specifically, this bill: 1)Makes adjustments to rules related to requirements for making and packaging frozen novelties, 2)Authorizes the Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) to collect assessments for the Standardization and Citrus Programs together and specify an adequate time frame for remittance, 3)Clarifies the authority of CDFA's Dairy Marketing Branch to finance environmental research projects of interest to the dairy industry, AB 1894 Page 2 4)Deletes term limits for the California Sheep Commission (CSC), and 5)Adds a technical clean up to AB 707 (Wood) of 2015, relating to Williamson Act (WA) contract cancellation and local cancellation fees. The Senate amendments: 1)Make technical changes requirements for making and packaging frozen novelties and remove a "closed to the public" requirement for making and packaging frozen novelties. 2)Delete term limits for CSC. 3)Make a technical clean up to AB 707 (Wood) of 2015, relating to WA contact cancellation and local cancellation fees. EXISTING LAW: 1)Prohibits the manufacturing and packaging of hard frozen dairy products when the establishment is open to the public. 2)Requires manufacturers to post an ingredient list for frozen yogurt on the premises if they sell directly to the public. 3)Requires ice cream mix, frozen dairy dessert mix, and frozen dessert mix to comply with all the requirements for ice cream, frozen dairy desserts, and frozen desserts, respectively. 4)Establishes CSC, comprised of 14 members who are elected or appointed in accordance with specified provisions to serve AB 1894 Page 3 two-year terms and limits the terms of office for each member to four consecutive terms. 5)Requires the Department of Conservation (DOC) to provide a preliminary valuation of WA contracted land to the county and city 60 days before the effective date of the agreed upon cancellation valuation if the contract includes an additional cancellation fee. FISCAL EFFECT: According to the Senate Appropriations Committee, pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8, negligible state costs.. COMMENTS: Frozen dairy desserts. This bill would maintain current food safety standards while incorporating new frozen dessert technologies. Additionally, CDFA states that some of these requirements are burdensome, unnecessary, and inconsistent with the dairy industry's business model. Sheep. The California sheep industry had an $82 million agricultural commodity value in 2014. The total number of sheep and lambs has remained relatively steady since 2005; however, the industry has declined since CSC was first created in 1985. As such, the decreasing size makes it more difficult for CSC to fill vacant board seats created by current term limits. Nonetheless, the industry is supportive of CSC and has asked that it continue in operation until at least 2020. This bill would delete term limits for CSC members. Williamson Act. AB 707 (Wood) of 2015 requires DOC to provide a preliminary valuation of WA contracted land to the county and city 60 days before the effective date of the agreed upon cancellation valuation if the contract includes an additional cancellation fee. This bill would clarify that this would occur only if DOC and the landowner first agree upon a cancellation value. AB 1894 Page 4 The Senate amendments make technical, clarifying and noncontroversial changes to the bill, all of which were proposed by Assembly Agriculture Committee staff. This bill is similar to the Assembly approved version of this bill and is consistent with the aims of the Assembly Agricultural Committee. Analysis Prepared by: Victor Francovich / AGRI. / (916) 319-2084 FN: 0003733