BILL ANALYSIS
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 557|
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THIRD READING
Bill No: AB 557
Author: Caballero (D)
Amended: As introduced
Vote: 21
SENATE FOOD AND AGRICULTURE COMMITTEE : 5-0, 7/7/09
AYES: Florez, Maldonado, Hancock, Hollingsworth, Pavley
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : Senate Rule 28.8
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 77-0, 5/21/09 (Consent) - See last page
for vote
SUBJECT : California Organic Products Advisory Committee:
membership
SOURCE : California Organic Products Advisory Committee
DIGEST : This bill changes the membership of the
California Organic Products Advisory committee from 15 to
16 and requires that the additional member be a certifier
accredited by the United States Department of Agriculture.
ANALYSIS : The California Organic Act (Act) creates the
California Organic Products Advisory Committee (COPAC),
comprised of 15 members and alternates, for the purpose of
advising the Secretary of the Department of Food and
Agriculture (DFA). Six members are to be producers, of
which one must produce an animal product; two are to be
CONTINUED
AB 557
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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 and its
title changed to the California Organic Products Act of
2003.
In 1990, the federal government established the Organic
Food Production Act of 1990 which would grow to provide for
the establishment of regulations of humans, food for pet
food, 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 creating the
National Organic Program.
This bill increases the size of the COPAC by one member to
add an organic certifier accredited by the United States
Department of Agriculture.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
SUPPORT : (Verified 8/18/09)
California Organic Products Advisory Committee (source)
California Agricultural Commissioners and Sealers
Association
California Certified Organic Farmers
Quality Assurance International
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : Proponents state this bill
provided accredited certifier input to the COPAC on how the
State Organic Program enforces the National Organic
Program.. Since the foundation of the COPAC, it has not
had an accredited certifier's input which will provide
input from a critical element of the state's organic
industry. Since certifiers are responsible for certifying
the National Organic Program, which the Sate Organic
Program is required to enforce, it is crucial that an
accredited certifier serve on the COPAC to provide the
State Organic Program with input into crucial issues
impacting the organic industry.
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ASSEMBLY FLOOR :
AYES: Adams, Ammiano, Anderson, Arambula, Beall, Bill
Berryhill, Tom Berryhill, Blakeslee, Block, Blumenfield,
Brownley, Buchanan, Caballero, Charles Calderon, Carter,
Chesbro, Conway, Cook, Coto, Davis, De La Torre, De Leon,
DeVore, Duvall, Emmerson, Eng, Evans, Feuer, Fletcher,
Fong, Fuller, Furutani, Gaines, Galgiani, Garrick,
Gilmore, Hagman, Hall, Harkey, Hayashi, Hernandez, Hill,
Huber, Huffman, Jeffries, Jones, Knight, Krekorian, Lieu,
Logue, Bonnie Lowenthal, Ma, Mendoza, Miller, Monning,
Nestande, Niello, Nielsen, John A. Perez, V. Manuel
Perez, Portantino, Price, Ruskin, Salas, Silva, Skinner,
Smyth, Solorio, Audra Strickland, Swanson, Torlakson,
Torres, Torrico, Tran, Villines, Yamada, Bass
NO VOTE RECORDED: Fuentes, Nava, Saldana
TSM:cm 8/18/09 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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