BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SENATE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE
Senator Cathleen Galgiani, Chair
2015 - 2016 Regular
Bill No: SB 1354 Hearing Date: 5/24/16
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|Author: |Galgiani |
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|Version: |5/19/16 |
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|Urgency: |Yes |Fiscal: |Yes |
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|Consultant:|Anne Megaro |
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Subject: Agricultural pest control: Asian citrus psyllid:
Huanglongbing
SUMMARY :
This bill would require the California Department of Food and
Agriculture to, upon appropriation specific for this purpose,
support research activities relating to Asian citrus psyllid
(ACP) and Huanglongbing (HLB) and to work with specified
stakeholders to establish a process for voluntary tracking of
best practices to manage ACP-infested and HLB-infected groves.
The information collected shall be used to establish recommended
management protocols based on best available science and
treatment outcomes. This bill contains an urgency clause.
BACKGROUND AND EXISTING
LAW :
California is the top-producing agricultural state in the nation
with $54 billion in agricultural commodity value in 2014.
California is also a top producer of citrus fruits and is ranked
second only to Florida in citrus production but first in citrus
product sold fresh to market. According to the most recent
census, in 2012, the $2.1 billion California citrus industry
grew nearly 4 million tons of citrus on 270,000 acres and
provided more than 14,000 jobs.
Existing law establishes the California Citrus Pest and Disease
Prevention Committee (CCPDPC) within the California Department
of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) to advise the secretary of CDFA
on efforts to prevent and manage citrus pests and diseases. An
assessment is levied on citrus producers and deposited into the
Citrus Disease Management Account for the sole purpose of
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combating citrus-specific pests and diseases. This account may
also contain funds from federal and other non-General Fund
sources. (AB 281, Statutes of 2009; Food and Agricultural Code
§5911 et seq.).
Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) is an invasive pest that feeds on
citrus plants' leaves and stems and causes shoot deformation and
plant stunting. More importantly, ACP may transmit
Huanglongbing (HLB), a bacterial disease that causes the plant
to produce unpalatable fruit before ultimately killing the tree.
According to CDFA, HLB is the most devastating disease of
citrus in the world. There is no cure and infected plants must
be destroyed.
The first discovery of ACP and HLB in the United States was in
Florida in 1998 and early September 2005, respectively. Within
2 years, the disease HLB spread to all citrus-producing counties
and infected over half of all citrus trees in the state.
Studies have shown that the economic damage due to HLB in
Florida alone has resulted in a loss of $7.8 billion and 7,513
jobs since 2007, reducing the industry to nearly a quarter of
the size it once was. The disease HLB has also been detected in
Georgia, Louisiana, South Carolina, Texas, and most recently,
California.
In 2008, the pest ACP was first identified in Southern
California. In in the last two years, ACP has rapidly spread
north into commercial citrus groves and residential trees, and
quarantine boundaries have expanded to encompass one-third of
the state. Meanwhile, in March 2012, HLB was detected in a
residential, multi-grafted citrus tree in Los Angeles County.
The tree was destroyed, however the disease was detected again
in 2015 and now 22 trees located in the surrounding areas have
tested positive for HLB. The new finds and the rapid northern
migration is a cause of great concern.
The citrus industry, the University of California, and both the
state and federal governments are working to eliminate and
prevent the establishment of ACP and HLB in California. Much of
the research is conducted with funding from the citrus industry,
CDFA Specialty Crops Block Grants, and the United States
Department of Agriculture - National Institute of Food and
Agriculture (USDA-NIFA).
The Agricultural Act of 2014 (H.R. 2642) was signed into law on
February 7, 2014, and directs $125 million of the USDA Specialty
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Crop Research Initiative funding toward citrus disease research
over the next 5 years. In FY 2015, the federal government
awarded $20 million in grants nationwide to university
researchers and extension projects to aid in the fight against
HLB.
PROPOSED
LAW :
This bill:
1) Requires CDFA to, upon appropriation of funds for that
purpose, support research activities relating to the Asian
citrus psyllid and Huanglongbing. These activities shall
include, but not be limited to, all of the following:
a. Finding a cure and/or suppression tactic for
Huanglongbing
b. Development of early detection techniques to
identify diseased trees
c. Development of resistant rootstocks, scions,
or psyllids
d. Improved psyllid trapping and control methods
e. Expanded biological control availability for
the Asian citrus psyllid in priority areas where there
is a reasonable expectation of success
f. New horticultural methods to maximize crop
production in the presence of Huanglongbing
g. Support for new and existing containment
research facilities for projects investigating
Huanglongbing
2) Requires CDFA to, upon appropriation of funds for that
purpose, work with county agricultural commissioners, pest
control advisors, researchers, and/or the Citrus Research
Board to establish a process for voluntary tracking of best
practices to manage ACP-infested and HLB-infected groves.
The information collected shall be used to establish
recommended management protocols based on best available
science and treatment outcomes.
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT:
According to the author, "California is facing a serious
infestation of Asian citrus psyllid, an invasive pest that
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threatens to kill every California citrus tree. As already seen
in Florida, this tiny pest and the disease it carries,
Huanglongbing, has the ability to destroy both the citrus
industry as well as residential citrus trees. SB 1354 seeks to
provide solutions to manage ACP and HLB in California by
increasing the tools available to combat ACP-infested and
HLB-infected trees and groves. In doing so, California might be
able to avoid massive devastation and stop ACP and HLB from
killing California's valuable crops and cherished residential
citrus trees. The reality of HLB taking hold in California is
chilling, and the state must do what it can to support critical
activities that aim to not only mitigate the spread of ACP but
to find a cure for HLB."
COMMENTS :
Residential citrus: Over half of all citrus trees in California
are located in residential backyards. Currently, $12 million of
the industry-assessed fees are being used to detect and trap ACP
and remove HLB-infected citrus trees in the Los Angeles Basin,
the area of greatest infestation.
Funding sources: The CCPDPC is funded by the California citrus
industry and federal grants. Of the $25 million annual budget,
roughly $15 million is funded through the $0.09 per carton
assessment fee and $10 million through the United States
Department of Agriculture. However, this year, the federal
government approved an additional $2 million in funding that
will be used to increase psyllid detection and trapping in the
San Joaquin Valley. The CCPDPC received a one-time $1 million
appropriation from the General Fund in FY 2013-14 (AB 110,
Statutes of 2013), however no other monies from California's
General Fund have been appropriated.
Budget request : The Senate Budget Subcommittee No. 2 approved a
General Fund allocation of $5 million to CDFA for Asian citrus
psyllid control, where $4.25 million is dedicated for
residential application and $750,000 for an interagency
agreement with the Department of Pesticide Regulation to provide
a consumer product database for a residential level study of the
impacts of neonicotinoid-treated seed and plants sold at the
retail level. None of these funds are directed for use towards
advancing research to find new tools for ACP or HLB control.
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Informational Hearing: The Senate Committee on Agriculture held
an informational hearing on May 17, 2016, titled "Crisis in the
Golden State: Asian Citrus Psyllid's Threat to Destroy
California Citrus." The hearing highlighted the urgent need for
additional support to not only mitigate the spread of ACP but to
find a cure for HLB, develop critical research and technology,
and improve enforcement and compliance with citrus treatment and
transportation regulations.
Research and Technology: According to expert witnesses at the
informational hearing, additional funding is needed to support
critical research projects. For example, California would
benefit from the development of early detection techniques of
infected trees. Florida and Texas did not have this technology
available, and unidentified HLB-infected trees remained in
groves and spread the disease to neighboring trees. Current
technology requires sufficient time (roughly one year) for the
disease to build up in the tree to a detectable concentration.
However, California is in a position where, if early detection
techniques are developed, infected trees (both commercial and
residential) could be identified and removed, or treated,
immediately.
Other critical research needs include finding a cure for HLB,
increasing the availability of biological control (release of
non-stinging parasitic wasps), developing resistant trees and
psyllids, and improving psyllid trapping and control, among
others. Current research projects are funded through USDA and
citrus industry grants; however, no General Fund monies are
appropriated for this purpose.
Urgency: This bill contains an urgency clause given that, due
to the rapid infestation of ACP and increasing HLB detections,
this bill is needed to provide immediate help to prevent this
invasive pest and disease from destroying residential and
commercial California citrus trees.
RELATED
LEGISLATION :
SB 822 (Roth), of 2016. Currently in the Senate Appropriations
Committee. This bill would appropriate $5 million from the
General Fund to the Citrus Disease Management Account within the
California Department of Food and Agriculture Fund for the
purpose of combating citrus disease or its vectors. This bill
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would also increase the monthly citrus assessment fee from $0.09
to $0.12 per 40 pound carton.
SB 1282 (Leno and Allen). Currently in the Senate
Appropriations Committee. This bill would require the California
Department of Pesticide Regulation to, by July 1, 2017, require
labeling of all commercially available seeds and plants sold at
retail establishments that have been treated with a
neonicotinoid pesticide to include a warning statement and logo
regarding the potential for the product to harm bees. This bill
would also, by January 1, 2018, designate neonicotinoid
pesticides as restricted materials with the exception for
products sold or applied by veterinarians.
AB 571 (Gatto). Vetoed, 2013. This bill would have
appropriated $5 million from the General Fund to the Citrus
Disease Management Account within the California Department of
Food and Agriculture Fund for the purposes of combating citrus
disease or its vectors.
AB 604 (De León and Fuller) Chapter 17, Statutes of 2010.
Authorizes CDFA to spend any monies it had collected in the
Citrus Disease Management Account on citrus specific pest and
disease programs through June 30, 2010.
AB 281 (De León) Chapter 426, Statutes of 2009. Establishes the
California Citrus Pest and Disease Prevention Committee and the
Citrus Disease Management Account within CDFA to prevent and
manage citrus pests and diseases. The Account shall consist of
money from industry assessment fees but may also include federal
and other non-General Fund sources.
SUPPORT :
California Citrus Mutual
OPPOSITION :
None received
-- END --
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