BILL ANALYSIS
SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Gloria Romero, Chair
2009-2010 Regular Session
BILL NO: AB 1891
AUTHOR: Committee on Higher Education
AMENDED: May 27, 2010
FISCAL COMM: Yes HEARING DATE: June 16, 2010
URGENCY: No CONSULTANT:Daniel Alvarez
SUBJECT : UC Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education
Program.
KEY POLICY ISSUE
Should the Legislature restore, in statute, the Sustainable
Agriculture Research and Education Program that is operated
by the University of California?
SUMMARY
This bill restores, in statute, the Sustainable Agriculture
Research and Education Program (SAREP) operated by the
University of California. This program was inadvertently
deleted from statute in 2009, as part of an overall higher
education technical cleanup measure.
BACKGROUND
The California Constitution establishes the University of
California (UC) as a public trust administered by the Regents
of the University of California (Regents). The Constitution
grants the Regents full powers of organization and
government, subject only to such legislative control as may
be necessary to insure the security of its funds, compliance
with the terms of University endowments, other procedures as
specified. (Article IX, Section 9)
ANALYSIS
This bill requests the UC Regents to establish the SAREP to
support competitive grants to promote research and education
on sustainable agricultural practices, and to support the
giving of instruction and practical demonstrations in
agriculture.
AB 1891
Page 2
(This program was inadvertently deleted from statute in 2009,
as part of an overall higher education technical measure.)
STAFF COMMENTS
1) Need for the bill : Chapter 386, Statutes of 2009 (AB
1182, Brownley) primarily streamlined higher education
related reporting requirements. However, late
amendments inadvertently deleted the authorization of
the SAREP. Though the SAREP program did not cease to
exist when it was deleted in statute, since legislation
is not necessary to create programs at the UC (given the
university's constitutional autonomy) - however,
statutory authorization of SAREP provides assurances to
the sustainable agricultural community that UC is
committed to this program. At the request of the UC,
the Assembly Committee on Higher Education agreed to
support legislation in 2010 to restore the statutory
authorization for this UC program.
2) Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program
(SAREP) . SAREP is a statewide program within UC
Agriculture and Natural Resources. It was created
through the grass roots efforts of organizations and
individuals concerned about the environmental impacts of
agriculture, the health of rural communities, and the
profitability of family farming operations in
California. At the request of the California
Legislature, the University of California established
SAREP with three mandates: administer competitive grants
for research on sustainable agricultural practices and
systems, develop and distribute information through
publications and on-farm demonstrations, and support
long-term research and sustainable farming systems on UC
farmlands. SAREP has a national reputation for
developing new practices, disseminating this information
on agricultural sustainability, and conducting research
with growers on public and private land.
SUPPORT
The University of California
OPPOSITION
None received.