BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                   SENATE AGRICULTURE & WATER RESOURCES COMMITTEE
                             Senator Jim Costa, Chairman

          BILL NO:  AB 1242                     HEARING:  3/4/02
          AUTHOR:  Wiggins                      FISCAL:  Yes
          VERSION:  2/4/02                      CONSULTANT:  Dennis  
          Albiani
          
                 Pest control: glassy-winged sharpshooter.  URGENCY

          BACKGROUND AND EXISTING LAW

          In the summer of 1999, winegrape growers in Riverside County  
          experienced a sudden and alarming increase in the death of  
          grapevines in area vineyards. The culprit of the destruction was  
          the deadly Pierce's disease accelerated by a new carrier, the  
          glassy-winged sharpshooter.  Over the following spring  
          glassy-winged sharsphooter infestations occurred in Kern,  
          Fresno, Tulare, Sacramento, and Ventura Counties.  Losses by  
          grape growers due to Pierce's disease spread by the  
          glassy-winged sharpshooter have been identified in Riverside and  
          Kern County.  

          SB 671 (Chesbro) created the Pierce's Disease Control Program  
          within the California Department of Food and Agriculture.  The  
          program's goal is to eradicate Pierce's disease and its vector  
          glass-winged sharpshooter.  

          Congress passed a measure appropriating $7.14 million in funds  
          to indemnify winegrape growers for losses occurring from the  
          spread of Pierce's disease by the glassy winged sharpshooter  
          (P.L. 106-224).  Specifically, the federal legislation  
          appropriates funds allocated by the federal government to  
          California through H.R. 2213 to be distributed by the California  
          Department of Food and Agriculture. 

          PROPOSED LAW

          1)  This statute would make findings and declarations as  
          follows:

                 California is the leading producer of wine in the United  
               States.
                 The glassy-winged sharpshooter is a potent vector for  
               Pierce's disease, which harms vines.
                 The destruction of millions of dollars of vines has led  
               to economic hardship in rural communities.

          2)  This bill would appropriate federal funds to be made  




          AB 1242 -- 2/4/02 -- Page 2


            available subject to Public Law 106-224, and subject to  
            regulations, to directly compensate growers for vine losses  
            resulting from Pierce's disease spread by the glassy-winged  
            sharpshooter via individual grants.

          3)  This bill contains an urgency clause.














































          AB 1242 -- 2/4/02 -- Page 3


          COMMENT

           1)  Pierce's disease spread by the glassy-winged sharpshooter  
            has wreaked havoc on vineyards in Riverside and Kern County.   
            The funds contained in this measure are federal funds that  
            pass through the state to indemnify growers who have  
            experienced financial loss due to Pierce's disease. The  
            federal legislation established the parameters in which the  
            regulations will be implemented.  Since this is a federally  
            funded program, minimal costs would be incurred by the state. 

          PRIOR ACTIONS

          Not relevant to the current version of the bill.

          SUPPORT
          
          California Association of Winegrape Growers
          California Farm Bureau Federation
          Wine Institute

          OPPOSITION
          
          None received.