BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 2324
Page 1
CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS
AB
2324 (Eggman)
As Amended August 15, 2016
Majority vote
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|ASSEMBLY: | 79-0 |(June 2, 2016) |SENATE: |39-0 |(August 17, |
| | | | | |2016) |
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Original Committee Reference: AGRI.
SUMMARY: This bill would add "raw sheared wool" to the list of
products that can be sold at a certified farmers' market (CFM);
add legislative intent that regulations keep cost to CFM
managers and vendors to a minimum; authorizes CFM operators to
create and keep additional information and to require vendors to
provide this additional information; and, require a 24 hour
response to an investigation inquiry.
The Senate amendments delete provisions that would have changed
the record keeping requirements of vendors and CFM managers; add
legislative intent that regulations keep cost to CFM managers
and vendors to a minimum; authorize CFM operators to create and
keep additional information and to require vendors to provide
this additional information; and, reduce the time period for
response to an investigation request from three business days to
24 hours.
AB 2324
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FISCAL EFFECT: According to the Senate Appropriations
Committee, the California Department of Food and Agriculture
(CDFA) would [have] minor and absorbable costs to promulgate
regulations.
COMMENTS: Last year, AB 1871 (Dickenson), Chapter 579, Statutes
of 2014, significantly revised CFM laws to prevent fraudulent
marketing practices occurring at CFMs. Among other provisions,
AB 1871 raised fees and increased violations to support and
improve marketing enforcement. However, the bill failed to
provide a process for enforcement officials to obtain these
records during an investigation.
Currently, CDFA regulations require CFM operators to obtain from
each vendor an itemized list ("load list") of all products sold
at the CFM each market day and maintain these records for 18
months. In the case of an investigation, the county
agricultural commissioners can use this information to identify
instances where a specified producer is selling products that do
not match their certified producer certificate in volume,
product type, or appropriateness for the season. This bill
requires the load lists to be made available within 24 hours of
a request.
There is continued debate as to what products should or should
not be included for sale within a CFM. Currently, only raw or
processed agricultural products are allowed (as defined), but
the line between these products and others that are a few steps
further up the processing chain is debated. Examples of these
products include beeswax and dyed beeswax candles, and now, raw
sheared wool and dyed spun yarn. Although processed products
are allowed to be sold at a CFM, it is generally only the
slightest processing that is allowed, such as washing,
preserving, or sanitizing. This bill would add "raw sheared
wool" to the products allowed for sale at a CFM but not include
further processed wool products, such as dyed spun yarn.
AB 2324
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Analysis Prepared by:
Jim Collin / AGRI. / (916) 319-2084 FN: 0004155