BILL ANALYSIS
AB 1242
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CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS
AB 1242 (Wiggins)
As Amended March 21, 2002
2/3 vote. Urgency
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|ASSEMBLY: | |(June 5, 2001) |SENATE: |33-0 |(March 21, 2002) |
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(vote not relevant)
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|COMMITTEE VOTE: |13-0 |(March 21, 2002) |RECOMMENDATION: |concur |
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Original Committee Reference: AGRI.
SUMMARY : Appropriates $7.14 million of federal funds to the
California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) to compensate
grape growers for losses resulting from Pierce's disease, provides
that these funds be available for expenditure by CDFA until
December 31, 2002, and makes legislative findings and declarations.
The Senate amendments delete the Assembly version of this bill and
instead:
1)Appropriate $7.14 million of federal funds to be made available
until December 31, 2002, to directly compensate growers for vine
losses resulting from Pierce's disease and its vector, the
glassy-winged sharpshooter. The funds will be made available to
CDFA pursuant to Public Law 106-224 and distributed to growers
via individual grants in accordance with current federal
guidelines and regulatory criteria.
2)Prohibit CDFA from using more than 5%, or $357,000 of the total
federal funding for administrative costs.
3)Make the following legislative findings and declarations:
a) California is the leading producer of wine in the United
States;
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b) The glassy-winged sharpshooter is a potent vector for
Pierce's disease, which harms vines by shutting down the
plant's ability to consume water and nutrients; and,
c) The destruction of millions of dollars in vines has led to
economic hardship in rural communities.
EXISTING FEDERAL LAW authorizes the United States Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) and the United States Department of
Agriculture (USDA) to distribute $7.14 million in federal funds to
indemnify winegrape growers for losses occurring from the spread of
Pierce's disease by the glassy-winged sharpshooter.
EXISTING LAW authorizes CDFA to administer the Pierce's Disease
Control Program for the purpose of combating Pierce's disease and
its vectors.
AS PASSED BY THE ASSEMBLY , this bill created The Farm Futures Act
of 2001, made findings and declarations regarding the importance of
family farms, and appropriated funding for the collaboration and
education of intergenerational farmers in order to promote farm
preservation in California.
FISCAL EFFECT : Out of the total $7.14 federal funding, $6.783
million will be distributed to growers and $357,000 will be used by
CDFA to administer this program.
COMMENTS : There is an urgent need for this measure in order to
accommodate USDA's budget cycle, as well as to comply with
constraints due to the glassy-winged sharpshooter's biological
cycle. These funds will be made available to compensate winegrape
growers for voluntarily removing vines that have been affected due
to Pierce's disease spread by the glassy-winged sharpshooter.
Elimination of these plants aids the entire state in its efforts to
contain the spread of this disease.
CDFA estimates it will need 5% of the total federal funding to
cover the costs of administrative work (developing criteria,
working with USDA to get criteria approved) and increased workload
by the County Agricultural Commissioners and the University of
California Cooperative Extension Farm Advisor that would be
required to analyze the applications and may be required to do
additional inspections to verify claims. Any funds left over will
be made available for grants.
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Analysis Prepared by : Dawn Clover / AGRI. / (916) 319-2084
FN: 0004265