BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �



                                                                  AB 634
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   April 6, 2011

                          ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE
                              Cathleen Galgiani, Chair
                  AB 634 (Huber) - As Introduced:  February 16, 2011
           
          SUBJECT  :  Vertebrate pest control: carbon monoxide.

           SUMMARY  :  This bill allows the use of carbon monoxide (CO) for 
          the control of vertebrate pests (VP).  

           EXISTING LAW  defines a VP for purposes of requiring the 
          Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture 
          to establish and administer a research program to control VP. 
          (FAC 6025-6029)   Prohibits the killing of any animal by means 
          of CO.  (PEN 597U)  

           FISCAL EFFECT  :  This bill has been keyed non-fiscal by 
          Legislative Counsel. 

           COMMENTS  :  Currently, in California, it is illegal to kill any 
          animal using CO, which includes VP.  VP includes any specie of 
          mammal, bird, reptile, amphibian, or fish that causes damage to 
          agricultural, natural, or industrial resources, or to any other 
          resource.  Anticoagulant bait, zinc phosphide bait, gas 
          cartridge fumigation and trapping are current methods used for 
          VP control in California.

          According to the sponsor, AB 634 would allow farmers and 
          ranchers to use CO for the control of VP such as gophers and 
          ground squirrels.  An estimated $500 million in crop losses are 
          attributed to rodents and other VP in California.  Supporters 
          state that CO is a safe, targeted and humane method of rodent 
          control.  

          AB 1659 (Kopp) of 1998, banned the use of CO in the killing of 
          animals.  The focus of the bill was to prevent the use of a CO 
          chamber in animal shelters for animal euthanasia.  The bill did 
          not address or discuss the use of CO as a pest control.  AB 634 
          corrects the inadvertent consequences of AB 1659.

           REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION  :   

           Support 
           








                                                                  AB 634
                                                                  Page  2

          California Farm Bureau Federation (Sponsor)
          Agricultural Council of California
          California Association of Pest Control Advisers
          California Association of School Business Officials
          California Cattlemen's Association
          California Certified Organic Farmers
          California Chamber of Commerce
          California Farm Bureau Federation
          California Grain and Feed Association
          California Grape and Tree Fruit League
          California Seed Association
          California Warehouse Association
          Conejo Valley Unified School District, Maintenance & Operations
          Pacific Egg and Poultry Association
          PawPac
          14 individuals

           Opposition 
           
          None on file.
           
          Analysis Prepared by  :    Victor Francovich / AGRI. / (916) 
          319-2084