BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 1175
Page 1
( Without Reference to File )
CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS
AB 1175 (Bocanegra)
As Amended August 18, 2014
Majority vote
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|ASSEMBLY: | |(May 24, 2013) |SENATE: |25-10|(August 21, 2014) |
| | | | | | |
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(vote not relevant)
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|COMMITTEE VOTE: |4-2 |(August 29, 2014) |RECOMMENDATION: |concur |
|(Agri.) | | | | |
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Original Committee Reference: H. & C.D.
SUMMARY : Prohibits the California Department of Food and
Agriculture (CDFA) from entering into cooperative agreements with
Los Angeles County (County) for agricultural inspection services
unless a currently unspecified percentage of agricultural inspector
associates are granted permanent County civil service status.
The Senate amendments delete the Assembly version of the bill, and
instead prohibit the secretary of CDFA from entering into
cooperative agreements with certain counties (County) for
year-round agricultural inspector services unless not less than 66%
of the agricultural inspector aides and 75% of the agricultural
inspector associates are afforded protections as permanent
employees under the county's civil service or personnel system.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Authorizes the secretary of CDFA to enter into cooperative
agreements to carry out and enforce programs that promote and
enhance agriculture, combat invasive pests and diseases, inspect
poultry and meat, or other activities to administer and enforce
these provisions. Specifically, the secretary enters into
cooperative agreements with county agricultural commissioners
(CAC) to administer and enforce programs and inspections on the
local level.
AB 1175
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2)Defines "counties of the first class" to be counties whose
populations exceed four million residents.
FISCAL EFFECT : According the Senate Appropriations Committee,
would not have a direct fiscal impact to CDFA. This bill could
result in potential cost pressures to CDFA in the low hundreds of
thousands of dollars annually.
COMMENTS : Current law authorizes CDFA to enter into cooperative
agreements with counties to carry out and enforce programs that,
among other things, combat invasive pests and diseases. CDFA
specifically contracts with CACs to administer and enforce local
programs and inspections.
CDFA's Plant Health and Pest Prevention Services Division is
responsible for the prevention and control of plant pests, working
cooperatively with CACs to accomplish these goals. Depending on
the specific requirements for pest monitoring, trapping, and
inspections, work is typically performed by the local CAC's staff,
which includes aids, associates, and inspectors.
In 2003-04, legislation was enacted which prohibited CDFA from
entering into cooperative agreements for agricultural inspections
with the County unless a minimum of 66% of all agricultural
inspector aids were granted permanent civil service status as a
county employee. Prior to that legislation, these employees were
hired on a temporary basis to work on year-long contracts with
CDFA. The legislation increased labor costs for the County, and
state funds were provided to aid this transition and reduce fiscal
impact to the County.
According to the author, this bill would ensure that agricultural
inspector aids would not lose their permanent status when
attempting to receive a promotion by going through a year-long,
temporary associate position. Furthermore, "Last year, the County
realized that agricultural inspector associates are not eligible
for the [promotional] exam because they are not technically
permanent employees. There is currently no process for associates
to be promoted, except at the discretion of the Agricultural
Commissioner. This has created a totally arbitrary process for
evaluating which employees should be promoted."
Those in opposition are concerned that this bill "would eliminate
the entry-level class in the Agricultural/Weights & Measures
AB 1175
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Inspector series, and would preclude incumbents from: 1) gaining
the necessary on-the-job-training; 2) meeting all educational
requirements; and 3) competing for permanent inspector positions."
Furthermore, this bill does not provide the funding needed to
mandate staffing with permanent employees, and the increased
staffing costs could preclude the County agricultural commissioner
from entering into agreements to perform inspections for CDFA in
the future.
This bill was substantially amended in the Senate and the Assembly
approved version of this bill was deleted. This bill, as amended
in the Senate, is inconsistent with the Assembly actions
Analysis Prepared by : Victor Francovich / AGRI. / (916) 319-2084
FN: 0005589