BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    




                    Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary
          
           ------------------------------------------------------------ 
          |                               |1242(Wiggins)               |
          |-------------------------------+----------------------------|
          |                               |                            |
          |-------------------------------+----------------------------|
          |Hearing Date:  9/6/01          |Amended: 5/31/01 and        |
          |                               |proposed to be amended      |
          |-------------------------------+----------------------------|
          |Consultant:  Lisa Matocq       |Policy Vote: A & W          |
          |                               |9-0                         |
          |                               |                            |
           ------------------------------------------------------------ 
          ____________________________________________________________ 
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          BILL SUMMARY: 
          
          AB 1242 makes the Department of Food and Agriculture (DFA)  
          responsible for researching trends in farm transfers,  
          developing training materials to promote intergenerational  
          farm transfers, and related activities.  

                              Fiscal Impact (in thousands)
           
          Major Provisions                    2001-02              2002-03          
            2003-04                Fund  
          
          DFA - farm transfers         $ 30                 $ 60               
          $ 60                  General
           
          
          STAFF COMMENTS:  SUSPENSE FILE. 

          A prior version of the bill appropriated $250,000 to DFA to  
          contract with a nonprofit organization with experience in  
          promoting farm transfers through strategies such as  
          sponsoring mentorship programs, maintaining a database of  
          names of retiring farmers, and performing outreach to the  
          agricultural community. 

          California Farmlinks, a nonprofit organization, promotes  
          farm transfers by helping to connect prospective farmers  
          with retiring farmers.

          STAFF NOTES that there is no reporting requirement.