BILL ANALYSIS
AB 1255
Page 1
CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS
AB 1255 (Tom Berryhill)
As Amended July 14, 2009
Majority vote
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|ASSEMBLY: |76-0 |(May 18, 2009) |SENATE: |38-0 |(August 27, |
| | | | | |2009) |
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Original Committee Reference: AGRI .
SUMMARY : Extends, from January 1, 2010 to January 1, 2015, the
repeal of the authority for state administration cost recovery
and county subventions for enforcement provisions of the
California Seed Law (CSL), for county activities pertaining to
seed labelers, and for statewide compliance by counties for all
seed produced within a county.
The Senate amendments extend the repeal date for state
administration cost recovery and county subventions for
enforcement provisions of CSL and for statewide compliance of
seed production within a county from January 1, 2010 to January
1, 2015.
AS PASSED BY THE ASSEMBLY , this bill was substantially similar
to the version passed by the Senate.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Senate Appropriations
Committee, future years will have $120,000 for county
subventions from Special Funds (Food and Agriculture Fund).
COMMENTS : CSL was created in 1967 to ensure product accuracy
and hence, consumer protection. In 1973, the Seed Advisory
Board (Board) was created and charged with enforcing consistent
standards statewide in the seed industry with the industry fees
covering the costs of the program and its administration. These
standards provide germination and purity requirements, and
labeling of such on each package. These sunsets have been
extended multiple times by the industry.
Previous legislation : AB 856 (Galgiani), Statutes of 2008,
Chapter 425, provided that the California Department of Food and
Agriculture, upon the recommendation of the Board, has the
option to not apportion a $100 subvention to counties without
AB 1255
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registered seed labelers, and specified the apportionment
provisions shall remain in effect until January 1, 2010, at
which time those provisions shall be repealed.
AB 315 (Salinas), Chapter 394, Statutes of 2003, extended the
funding to counties, totaling $120,000, while it deleted the 30%
funding reference for related seed law activities, repealing
these changes on January 1, 2010.
Analysis Prepared by : Jim Collin / AGRI. / (916) 319-2084
FN: 0002376