BILL ANALYSIS
AB 1912
Page 1
ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB 1912 (Evans)
As Amended April 8, 2010
Majority vote
AGRICULTURE 7-0 JUDICIARY 8-2
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|Ayes:|Galgiani, Conway, Fuller, |Ayes:|Feuer, Tran, Brownley, |
| |Hill, Ma, Mendoza, Yamada | |Evans, Jones, Swanson, |
| | | |Monning, Nava |
| | | | |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
| | |Nays:|Hagman, Knight |
| | | | |
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APPROPRIATIONS 12-5
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|Ayes:|Fuentes, Ammiano, |
| |Bradford, |
| |Charles Calderon, Coto, |
| |Davis, Monning, Ruskin, |
| |Skinner, Solorio, |
| |Torlakson, Torrico |
| | |
|-----+--------------------------|
|Nays:|Conway, Harkey, Miller, |
| |Nielsen, Norby |
| | |
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SUMMARY : Creates the California Apiary Research Commission
(CARC) with prescribed membership, powers, duties and
responsibilities, and requires positive referendum vote by
producers, as specified, to activate. Specifically, this bill :
1)Establishes the membership, powers and duties of CARC.
2)Requires CARC to reimburse the California Department of Food
and Agriculture (CDFA) for all expenses.
3)Requires CARC to establish an assessment following the
marketing season each year, no later than March 1.
AB 1912
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4)Establishes that the assessment may not be greater than one
dollar per bee colony.
EXISTING LAW authorizes various marketing and promotion
commissions (commissions) to promote the production and
marketing of California agricultural commodities. Commissions
have a variety of powers covering promotion, advertising,
education, production or post-harvest research, and quality
standards and inspections. Commissions cover a variety of
commodities. (Food and Agriculture Code Section 64001-79304)
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Assembly Committee on
Appropriations, this bill would cost approximately $500,000 per
year, paid for by an assessment on the beekeeping industry.
COMMENTS : According to the sponsor, honey bees are a critical
component of the agricultural community. Honey bees pollinate
approximately $6 billion worth of crops in California. Urban
development and the on-going water crisis have diminished bee
food supplies. Colony Collapse Disorder has reduced the
nation's bee population by 25% in the past three years. The
decline of honey bees has created issues for other agricultural
sectors that rely on honey bees for pollination of crops. The
sponsor believes there is a need for organized research to
protect the health of honey bees in order to avoid an imbalance
for our agricultural food supply.
According to CDFA, the purpose of marketing programs is to
provide agricultural producers and handlers an organizational
structure, operating under government sanction, which allows
them to solve production and marketing problems collectively
that they could not address individually. Current marketing
programs' activities include commodity promotion, research, and
maintenance of quality standards. Commissions provide a
structure for solving problems and also provide a vehicle for
collecting funds to support activities. There are 20 active
commissions under current law.
For accomplishing the purposes stated by the author for the
beekeeping industry, a commission may be an appropriate entity.
Current commissions and marketing orders have been successful in
expanding markets, improving the quality, and providing more
research for pests and disease prevention. In recent years, one
commission was terminated by the industry and another had an
AB 1912
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audit by the Secretary (Secretary) of CDFA, which revealed
potential misuse of funds. This bill has language requiring
annual audits and that the Secretary may conduct, upon
determination of the need, a fiscal and administrative audit of
CARC.
Pending legislation : AB 2695 (Hernandez) of 2010 would create
the California Nursery Producers Commission with prescribed
membership, powers, duties and responsibilities, and requires
positive referendum vote by nursery product producers, as
specified, to activate.
Analysis Prepared by : Victor Francovich / AGRI. / (916)
319-2084
FN: 0004634