Amended in Senate June 15, 2016

Amended in Assembly April 11, 2016

Amended in Assembly March 28, 2016

California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 2574

Introduced by Assembly Member Chávez

( begin delete Coauthor: end delete begin insert Coauthors: end insert Assembly begin delete Member Cooper end delete begin insert Members Cooper, Brown, Lopez, and Mathis end insert )

February 19, 2016

An act to add Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 1168) to Part 3.5 of Division 2 of the Labor Code, relating to veterans.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

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 Department 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 begin delete bill, by July 1, 2017, end delete begin insert bill end insert would require begin delete a collaboration of end delete 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, to begin delete develop end delete begin insert develop, by July 1, 2017, end insert 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 begin delete dissemination if the resources meet certain requirements. end delete begin insert dissemination. end insert 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:

SECTION 1.  

Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 1168) is
added to Part 3.5 of Division 2 of the Labor Code, to read:

 

Chapter  9. Veteran Farmers or Ranchers

 

1168.  

The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(a) The United States Census Bureau data for 2015 estimates
an approximate global population totaling 7.25 billion people,
requiring increased capacity to provide an adequate food supply
while global resources for producing food are dwindling.

begin delete

(b) The average age of farmers across the United States is on
the rise. In 1978, 16.4 percent of principal farm operators were
over 65 years of age and by 2012, the average age of farmers
increased to 33 percent of principal farm operators being over 65
years of age.

end delete begin insert

(b) The average age of farmers across the United States is on
the rise, 58.3 years of age as of 2012. In 1978, 16.4 percent of
principal farm operators were over 65 years of age and by 2012
increased to 33 percent.

end insert

(c) An 8-percent national decrease in the number of farmers
and ranchers is expected to occur between the years 2008 and
2018.

(d) The current social and educational infrastructure is
inadequate to serve the needs of farmers and ranchers in California
and elsewhere.

(e) According to the 2012 United States Department of
Agriculture (USDA) Census of Agriculture, 22 percent of all
farmers were beginning farmers in 2012, with minority and
historically underrepresented communities constituting part of the
continued growth among new and beginning farmers and ranchers.

(f) There is expanding recognition of new populations
considering enterprises in farming and ranching that begin delete require end delete
begin insert requires end insert a repositioning of classrooms and targeted educational
resources outreach.

(g) According to the USDA, the sales value generated by
California agriculture increased by 4.6 percent between the 2012
and 2013 crop years. The state’s 77,900 farms and ranches received
forty-six billion four hundred million dollars ($46,400,000,000)
for their outputs, ranking California as the nation’s largest in cash
receipts, with the next leading states being Iowa and Nebraska.

(h) In response to the need to identify new population segments
entering farming and ranching-related fields, the federal 2014
United States farm bill, known as the federal Agricultural Act of
2014 (Public Law 113-79), contained various landmark incentives
to assist America’s veterans returning from military service to
acquire skills needed to start and manage a farm and successfully
enter the business of farming and ranching. Incentives include, but
are not limited to, education and training, technical assistance,
rehabilitation, and eligibility for USDA Microloans offering a
simplified application process and favorable interest rates.

(i) More than six million veterans reside in rural America and
two million veterans are residents of California.

1168.2.  

For purposes of this chapter, “veteran farmer or
rancher” means a farmer or rancher who meets both of the
following requirements:

(a) Has not operated a farm or ranch or has not operated a farm
or ranch for more than 10 years.

(b) Has served in the Armed Forces of the United States
including the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard
of the United States, Reserves, Army National Guard, and Air
National Guard.

1168.3.  

(a) By July 1, 2017, begin delete a collaboration of end delete 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, shall develop a New
Veteran Farmer and Rancher Outreach and Assistance Plan to
disseminate information, electronically and through America’s
Job Center of California locations and through any other already
available means, to veterans in California about state veteran and
agricultural education, training, and other assistance programs,
begin insert and end insert federal veteran and agricultural education, training, and other
assistance programs and resources offered through the federal
Agricultural Act of 2014 (Public Law 113-79) and begin delete any other end delete
subsequent federal acts related to agriculture.

(b) Other public or private sector resources may also be included
in the dissemination described in subdivision begin delete (a) if these resources
(1) offer guaranteed loans or other support to new veteran farmers
or ranchers to assist in meeting their needs, including, but not
limited to, loans for farm ownership through the Veterans' Farm
and Home Purchase Act of 1974, which is known as the Cal-Vet
loan program, as well as operating loans, loans for land acquisition
and improvement and other needs, as appropriate, or (2) support
eligible traditional and nontraditional organizations serving
veterans, or veteran applicants applying and qualifying for federal
funding authorized by the federal Agricultural Act of 2014 (Public
Law 113-79) and any other subsequent federal agricultural Acts. end delete

begin insert (a). end insert