BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SB 1354
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Date of Hearing: August 3, 2016
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Lorena Gonzalez, Chair
SB 1354
(Galgiani) - As Amended August 1, 2016
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|Policy |Agriculture |Vote:|9 - 0 |
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Urgency: Yes State Mandated Local Program: NoReimbursable: No
SUMMARY:
This bill requires the California Department of Food and
Agriculture (CDFA) to: 1) support research activities relating
to the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) and Huanglongbing (HLB), and
2) work with specified stakeholders to establish a process
for voluntary tracking of best practices to manage ACP-infested
and HLB-infected groves. CDFA will engage in these activities
upon appropriation of funds.
FISCAL EFFECT:
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Unknown cost pressures, of at least in the hundreds of thousands
of dollars annually, for CDFA (General Fund).
COMMENTS:
1)Purpose. According to the author, SB 1354 will help increase
the tools available to combat ACP-infested and HLB-infected
trees and groves. In doing so, the author contends that
California might be able to avoid massive devastation to
valuable crops.
2)HLB and ACP. Huanglongbing, also known as citrus greening
disease, is a bacterial plant disease that, while not harmful
to humans or animals, is fatal for citrus trees. The disease
destroys citrus trees' production, appearance and economic
value. Diseased trees produce hard, bitter, misshapen fruit,
and the trees typically die within 3-5 years of being
infected. HLB is considered to be one of the most serious
plant diseases in the world and currently there is no cure.
Infected plants must be removed and destroyed in order to
prevent further spread of HLB.
HLB is spread by the Asian citrus psyllid, a tiny, invasive
insect that feeds on the leaves and stems of citrus trees and
causes shoot deformation and plant stunting. When an ACP feeds
on an HLB-infected tree, it can pick up the bacteria that
cause the disease. Once infected, ACP carries the
disease-causing bacteria for life and can transfer the disease
when feeding on other citrus trees.
In 2008, ACP was first identified in Southern California and
has since spread rapidly such that quarantine boundaries now
comprise one-third of the State. In March 2012, HLB was
detected in a multi-grafted citrus tree in a residential
portion of Los Angeles County. The tree was destroyed;
however, the disease was detected again in 2015 in 22 trees
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located in the surrounding areas. The new finds and the rapid
migration of the disease-carrying insect have increased CDFA's
surveillance, trapping, and analytical workloads.
Analysis Prepared by:Luke Reidenbach / APPR. / (916)
319-2081