BILL ANALYSIS Ó AB 2714 Page 1 Date of Hearing: April 20, 2016 ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS Lorena Gonzalez, Chair AB 2714 (Cooper) - As Amended April 12, 2016 ----------------------------------------------------------------- |Policy |Agriculture |Vote:|9 - 0 | |Committee: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: NoReimbursable: No SUMMARY: This bill: 1)Makes legislative findings and declarations related to Pierce's Disease, the importance of the California wine industry, and the need for funding the Pierce's Disease Control Program (PDCP). 2)Appropriates $5 million from the General Fund to the Pierce's Disease Management Account in the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Fund. AB 2714 Page 2 FISCAL EFFECT: This bill appropriates $5 million from the General Fund to the Pierce's Disease Management Account. COMMENTS: 1)Purpose: According to the author, this bill will recommit state funding and support to combat Pierce's Disease and other pests and diseases that affect California's wine industry 2)Background: The PDCP was created in 2001 to control the spread and severity of Pierce's Disease, a fatal bacterial disease of grapevines that is spread by certain types of insects, in particular the glassy-winged sharpshooter. PDCP has five major components: containing the spread of the disease, statewide survey and detection, rapid response, outreach, and research. Despite PDCP's success, California has experienced a greater incidence of Pierce's Disease and increased populations of the glassy-winged sharpshooter in recent years. 3)Program Funding: The PDCP currently relies upon federal assistance and wine grape assessments that fund operations and research. In FY 2014-15, the Program received $15.3 million in federal dollars and $1.1 million in industry assessments. Prior to FY 2011-12, the Program also received an average $5.6 million annually in General Fund support. 4)Parallel citrus efforts and prior veto. SB 822 (Roth) in 2016, which is currently pending in the Senate Appropriations Committee, appropriates $5 million from the General Fund to AB 2714 Page 3 the Citrus Disease Management Account to combat the spread and devastating effects of the Huanglongbing (HLB) disease, a bacterial plant disease spread by the Asian citrus psyllid. This bill follows a similar bill (AB 571 (Gatto) in 2013) vetoed by the Governor, whose veto message suggested that such funding decisions should be made during the budget process. Analysis Prepared by:Luke Reidenbach / APPR. / (916) 319-2081