BILL NUMBER: AB 1255	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Tom Berryhill

                        FEBRUARY 27, 2009

   An act to amend Section 52324 of the Food and Agricultural Code,
relating to agriculture.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 1255, as introduced, Tom Berryhill. Agricultural seed: county
seed enforcement subventions.
   Existing law, the California Seed Law, provides that the
Department of Food and Agriculture may pay counties an annual
subvention for costs incurred in the enforcement of provisions of law
relating to seed identification and quality. Existing law provides,
pursuant to those provisions, that the subvention to counties be
annually apportioned, as provided, according to whether the county
has registered seed labelers. Existing law repeals that provision on
January 1, 2010.
   This bill would extend the operation of these provisions to
January 1, 2015.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  Section 52324 of the Food and Agricultural Code is
amended to read:
   52324.  The subvention program under Section 52323 is an optional
program available to counties. The subvention to counties under
Section 52323 shall be annually apportioned as follows:
   (a) At the discretion of the secretary and upon recommendation of
the Seed Advisory Board, counties with no registered seed labelers
may annually receive one hundred dollars ($100).
   (b) Counties with registered seed labeler operations shall receive
subventions based upon units of enforcement activity generated by
the registered seed labeler operations within the county and upon the
performance of enforcement activities necessary to carry out this
chapter. The units of activity shall be determined by the secretary,
taking into consideration the number of lots and kinds of seed
labeled by each registered seed labeler operation within the county.
The rate per unit of activity shall be established by dividing the
total statewide units of activity into the annual funds available to
the counties under Section 52323 after deducting the amount required
for subventions in subdivision (a). Apportionment to individual
counties shall be based upon the county's total units of activity
performed times the established rate.
   This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 
2010   2015  , and as of that date is repealed,
unless a later enacted statute, that is enacted before January 1,
 2010   2015  , deletes or extends that
date.