BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  AB 557
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   April 29, 2009

                          ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE
                              Cathleen Galgiani, Chair
                AB 557 (Caballero) - As Introduced:  February 25, 2009
           
          SUBJECT  :  California Organic Products Advisory Committee:  
          membership.

           SUMMARY  :  Adds a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)  
          accredited certifier as a member to the California Organic  
          Products Advisory Committee (COPAC).  

           EXISTING LAW  , under the California Organic Act (Act), creates  
          COPAC, comprised of 15 members and alternatives, for the purpose  
          of advising the Secretary of the California Department of Food  
          and Agriculture (CDFA).  Six members are to be producers, of  
          which one must produce an animal product; two are to be  
          processors; one is to be a wholesale distributor; two are to be  
          environmental representatives; two are to be technical  
          representatives with scientific credentials; and, one is to be a  
          retail representative.  The Act was updated in 2003 to conform  
          to the National Organic Program (NOP) and its title changed to  
          the California Organic Products Act of 2003.

           EXISTING FEDERAL LAW,  authorized in 1990, provides for the  
          establishment of regulations of food for humans, food for pets,  
          livestock feed and raw agricultural products when using, on a  
          principal display panel (label), the word "Organic."  The  
          enabling regulations for this act were finalized and adopted in  
          December 2001.  

           FISCAL EFFECT  :  Unknown.  Legislative Counsel has keyed this  
          bill fiscal.

           COMMENTS  :  The Act was created in 1990 for the purpose of  
          protecting the public from false and misleading organic labeling  
          claims.  The Act provided for enforcement, procedures, a 14  
          member advisory board, prohibited materials, inspections,  
          penalties, certification process and organizations, fees, and  
          regulations.  The scope of the Act was expanded in 1992 to  
          include seed fiber, and horticultural products sold or labeled  
          as organic.  In 2003, after the federal program known as NOP was  
          established that created the USDA accreditation process, the  
          California statute was amended to conform to NOP.  At that time  








                                                                  AB 557
                                                                  Page  2

          COPAC was expanded to 15 members, adding the wholesale  
          representative.  Certifiers have an integral involvement in ACT  
          and NOP, and their representation on COPAC should enhance its  
          advisory capacity to CDFA.

           REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION  : 

           Support 
           
          California Organic Products Advisory Committee (Sponsor)
          California Certified Organic Farmers
          Quality Assurance International

           Opposition 
           
          None on file.
           
          Analysis Prepared by  :    Jim Collin / AGRI. / (916) 319-2084