BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  SB 140
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   July 1, 2009

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                Kevin De Leon, Chair

                    SB 140 (Corbett) - As Amended:  June 11, 2009 

          Policy Committee:                             AgricultureVote:7  
          - 0 

          Urgency:     Yes                  State Mandated Local Program:  
          No     Reimbursable:              

           SUMMARY  

          This bill requires the California Department of Food and  
          Agriculture (CDFA) to establish a Citrus Nursery Stock Pest  
          Cleanliness Program. Specifically, this bill: 

          1)Requires CDFA to consider input from interested parties on  
            cost, need and practicability when developing the program.

          2)Requires CDFA to establish inspection requirements and testing  
            standards.

          3)Provides that new diseases or pests that are a threat to the  
            citrus industry be included in the program within 45 days of  
            developing valid and reliable diagnostic practices. 

          4)Specifies criteria for CDFA to authorize other entities to  
            test and examine diseases and pests covered by the program.

          5) Requires CFDA to establish rates or fees to pay for the  
            administration of the program. 

          6)Includes an urgency clause due to the present potential of  
            invasive pest infestation or disease infection of California  
            citrus.

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          On-going costs of $350,000 per year to administer the mandatory  
          citrus pest cleanliness program if the program covers the same  
          pathogens as the current voluntary program. If additional  
          pathogens are added, those costs would increase.  The costs may  








                                                                  SB 140
                                                                  Page  2

          be fully or partially offset by fees charged to citrus growers.

           COMMENTS  

           1)Purpose  . Proponents state that South America and Florida  
            citrus growers have been hard hit by agricultural diseases.   
            This bill establishes a mandatory program to anticipate and  
            address the prospect of these diseases being introduced in  
            California.
           
          2)CDFA Voluntary Citrus Program  . California has a voluntary  
            program to test and certify citrus for certain diseases and  
            pests, and a program to test for Citrus Tristeza virus, which  
            causes losses in sweet oranges and grapefruit planted on sour  
            orange rootstock. 

           3)Related Legislation  . SB 1466 (Corbett) in 2008, a  
            substantially similar bill, was initially held on this  
            committee's suspense file. The bill was then withdrawn from  
            this committee and placed on the Assembly third reading file,  
            where it was never taken up.

           Analysis Prepared by  :    Julie Salley-Gray / APPR. / (916)  
          319-2081