BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    




                   Senate Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary
                           Senator Christine Kehoe, Chair

                                           2122 (Mendoza)
          
          Hearing Date:  07/15/2010           Amended: 04/15/2010
          Consultant:  Brendan McCarthy   Policy Vote: EQ 7-0
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          BILL SUMMARY: AB 2122 expands the topics that may be covered by  
          continuing education courses related to pest management.
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                            Fiscal Impact (in thousands)

           Major Provisions         2010-11      2011-12       2012-13    Fund
           
          Evaluating course curricula       $100        $100       
          $100Special *                                 
          * Department of Pesticide Regulation Fund.
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          STAFF COMMENTS: 
          
          Under current law, the Department of Pesticide Regulation issues  
          licenses or certificates to certain individuals working with  
          pesticides. For example, Pest Control Advisors are professional  
          consultants licensed by the Department and are required to have  
          a certain number of college credits and pass an initial  
          licensing examination. In addition, Pest Control Advisors are  
          required to complete forty hours of continuing education every  
          two years. By state regulation, and pursuant to federal  
          regulation, the Department adopts standards for continuing  
          education courses and is required to approve course curricula in  
          advance. Under current regulation, these continuing education  
          courses focus on pest control issues.

          AB 2122 requires any regulation or amendment dealing with  
          continuing education for pest management to establish minimum  
          course requirements, including, but not limited to, organic and  
          sustainable practices, water and air monitoring, pesticide  
          residue mitigation and maximum residue levels, quarantine  
          practices, and storage practices. (Therefore, the bill broadens  
          the topics that continuing education courses may cover.)











          The bill also requires the Department to approve or reject any  
          proposed continuing education course within fifteen days of  
          receipt.

          By broadening the potential scope of the courses that can be  
          used to obtain continuing education credit, the bill will likely  
          result in additional applications to the department for  
          approval. Staff estimates that the department will need one full  
          time position and additional clerical support to review new  
          course curricula.