AB 2574, as amended, Chávez. Veteran farmers and ranchers.
Existing law establishes the Labor and Workforce Development Agency and provides that the agency consists of, among other entities, the California Workforce Investment Board, the Employment Development Department, and the Employment Training Panel. Existing law establishes within state government a Department of Veterans Affairs and a begin deleteState Boardend deletebegin insert Departmentend insert of Food and Agriculture. Existing law provides for a variety of state benefits to veterans, including those relating to educational assistance and farm and home purchases, as specified.
This bill, by July 1, 2017, would requirebegin delete the Labor and Workforce Development Agency, in consultation with the
Department of Veterans Affairs and the State Board of Food and Agriculture,end deletebegin insert a collaboration of state departments, including, but not limited to, the Department of Food and Agriculture, the Labor and Workforce Development Agency, and the Department of Veterans Affairs,end insert to develop a New Veteran Farmer and Rancher Outreach and Assistance Plan to disseminate information to veterans in California about, among other things, federal and state veteran agricultural education, training, and other assistance programs, as provided. The bill would authorize other public or private sector resources to be included in that dissemination if the resources meet certain requirements. The bill would also make findings and declarations in this regard.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 1168) is
2added to Part 3.5 of Division 2 of the Labor Code, to read:
3
The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
7(a) The United States Census Bureau data for 2015 estimates
8an approximate global population totaling 7.25 billion people,
9requiring increased capacity to provide an adequate food supply
10while global resources for producing food are dwindling.
11(b) The average age of farmers across the United States is on
12the rise. In 1978, 16.4 percent of principal farm operators were
13over 65 years of age and by 2012, the average age of farmers
14increased to 33 percent of principal farm operators being over 65
15years of age.
16(c) An
8-percent national decrease in the number of farmers
17and ranchers is expected to occur between the years 2008 and
182018.
19(d) The current social and educational infrastructure is
20inadequate to serve the needs of farmers and ranchers in California
21and elsewhere.
22(e) According to the 2012 United States Department of
23Agriculture (USDA) Census of Agriculture, 22 percent of all
24farmers were beginning farmers in 2012, with minority and
25historically underrepresented communities constituting part of the
26continued growth among new and beginning farmers and ranchers.
27(f) There is expanding recognition of new populations
28considering enterprises in farming and ranching that require a
P3 1repositioning of classrooms and targeted
educational resources
2outreach.
3(g) According to the USDA, the sales value generated by
4California agriculture increased by 4.6 percent between the 2012
5and 2013 crop years. The state’s 77,900 farms and ranches received
6forty-six billion four hundred million dollars ($46,400,000,000)
7for their outputs, ranking California as the nation’s largest in cash
8receipts, with the next leading states being Iowa and Nebraska.
9(h) In response to the need to identify new population segments
10entering farming and ranching-related fields, the federal 2014
11United States farm bill, known as the federal Agricultural Act of
122014 (Public Law 113-79), contained various landmark incentives
13to assist America’s veterans returning from military service to
14acquire skills needed to start and manage a farm and
successfully
15enter the business of farming and ranching. Incentives include, but
16are not limited to, education and training, technical assistance,
17rehabilitation, and eligibility for USDA Microloans offering a
18simplified application process and favorable interest rates.
19(i) More than six million veterans reside in rural America and
20two million veterans are residents of California.
For purposes of this chapter, “veteran farmer or
22rancher” means a farmer or rancher who meets both of the
23following requirements:
24(a) Has not operated a farm or ranch or has not operated a farm
25or ranch for more than 10 years.
26(b) Has served in the Armed Forces of the United States
27including the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard
28of the United States, Reserves, Army National Guard, and Air
29National Guard.
(a) By July 1, 2017,begin delete the Labor and Workforce begin insert a
31Development Agency, in consultation with the Department of
32Veterans Affairs and the State Board of Food and Agriculture,end delete
33collaboration of state departments, including, but not limited to,
34the Department of Food and Agriculture, the Labor and Workforce
35Development Agency, and the Department of Veterans Affairs,end insert
36 shall develop a New Veteran Farmer and Rancher Outreach and
37Assistance Plan to disseminate information, electronically and
38through America’s Job Center of California locations and through
39any other already
available means, to veterans in California about
40state veteran and agricultural education, training, and other
P4 1assistance programs, federal veteran and agricultural education,
2training, and other assistance programs and resources offered
3through the federal Agricultural Act of 2014 (Public Law 113-79)
4and any other subsequent federal acts related to agriculture.
5(b) Other public or private sector resources may also be included
6in the dissemination described in subdivision (a) if these resources
7(1) offer guaranteed loans or other support to new veteran farmers
8or ranchers to assist in meeting their needs, including, but not
9limited to, loans for farm ownership through the Veterans' Farm
10and Home Purchase Act of 1974, which is known as the Cal-Vet
11loan program, as well as operating loans, loans for land acquisition
12and improvement and other
needs, as appropriate, or (2) support
13eligible traditional and nontraditional organizations serving
14veterans, or veteran applicants applying and qualifying for federal
15funding authorized by the federal Agricultural Act of 2014 (Public
16Law 113-79) and any other subsequent federal agricultural Acts.
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