BILL ANALYSIS �
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 1642|
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THIRD READING
Bill No: AB 1642
Author: Chesbro (D), et al.
Amended: As introduced
Vote: 21
SENATE AGRICULTURE COMMITTEE : 5-0, 6/17/14
AYES: Galgiani, Cannella, Berryhill, Lieu, Wolk
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : 6-0, 6/30/14
AYES: De Le�n, Walters, Hill, Lara, Padilla, Steinberg
NO VOTE RECORDED: Gaines
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 76-0, 5/27/14 - See last page for vote
SUBJECT : Pest control: Pierces Disease
SOURCE : California Association of Winegrape Growers
Family Winemakers of California
Wine Institute
DIGEST : This bill extends sunset dates for provisions
relating to Pierces Disease and the glassy-winged sharpshooter.
ANALYSIS :
Existing law:
1. Establishes the Pierce's Disease Control Program in the
Department of Food and Agriculture (DFA), and the Pierce's
Disease Management Account (Account) in the Food and
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Agriculture Fund.
2. Allows money in this Account to be expended as specified to
combat Pierce's Disease and its vectors, including the
glassy-winged sharpshooter, and for purposes relating to
other designated pests and diseases, as provided. Makes
these provisions inoperative on March 1, 2016, and repeals
them on January 1, 2017.
3. Creates in the DFA the Pierce's Disease and Glassy-Winged
Sharpshooter Board, which consists of specified members, and
prescribes the functions and duties of the Board with respect
to implementation of the Pierce's Disease Control Program.
4. Provides for an annual assessment to be paid by grape
processors, as defined, into the Food and Agriculture Fund
for the purposes of, among other things, research and other
activities related to the Pierce's Disease Control Program.
Repeals these provisions on March 1, 2016.
This bill:
1. Updates findings and declarations to increase the value of
the California grape industry to $60 billion.
2. Extends from March 1, 2016, to March 1, 2021, the inoperative
date, and from January 1, 2017, to January 1, 2022, the
repeal date, of the Account.
3. Extends from March 1, 2016, to March 1, 2021, the repeal date
of the Pierce's Disease and Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter Board,
assessment rate, reporting requirements, and other provisions
of statute regarding the disease and its vector.
4. Extends from March 1, 2011, to March 1, 2016, the inoperative
date of provisions regarding Pierce's Disease and the
glassy-winged sharpshooter, unless a referendum is conducted
that results in a favorable vote.
5. Extends from April 15, 2010, to April 15, 2015, the date that
the Secretary of the DFA shall establish a list of persons
eligible to vote in said referendum.
6. Extends the sunset date of the Pierce's Disease Advisory Task
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Force from March 1, 2016, to March 1, 2021.
Background
Pierce's Disease is fatal to grapevines and is caused by a
bacterium, Xylella fastidiosa, which obstructs the grapevines'
water channels and eventually kills the plant by preventing
water transport through the vine. Although Pierce's Disease has
been detected in California for over 100 years, it wasn't until
the 1990s that it became a serious threat when the glassy-winged
sharpshooter, an invasive leafhopper pest, became established in
California. Pierce's Disease is readily spread by leafhopper
insects as they feed on grapevines, and the glassy-winged
sharpshooter has proven to be an effective transmitter.
According to the DFA, Pierce's Disease has been reported in 28
counties throughout California and threatens the multi-billion
dollar winegrape industry, as well as other crops such as
almonds, citrus, and stone fruits, which are susceptible to
varying strains of the bacterium.
To combat this disease/vector complex, a task force was created
in 1999 that identified the need to create a statewide
eradication and control program, and in 2000 the legislature
responded by creating the Pierce's Disease Control Program
within the DFA and established a coordinating fund to support
research and control efforts.
Funding for the Pierce's Disease Control Program is supported
through federal, state, and industry sources. Industry
assessment fees are administered by the DFA, whereby California
producers of grapes crushed for wine, juice, vinegar,
concentrate, or beverage brandy must pay an annual assessment
fee capped at $3 per $1000 gross dollar value of grapes
assessed. The Secretary of the DFA, upon recommendation of the
Pierce's Disease and Glassy-winged Sharpshooter Board,
determines the assessment rate, which is currently set at
$0.75/$1000 value.
There is no known cure for Pierce's Disease. However, nearly 25
years of research have uncovered conventional plant-breeding
methods to develop disease-resistant rootstock and grapevines
and identified biological control methods. Researchers are
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continuing to develop new technologies to find a solution to
Pierce's Disease.
Related legislation
SB 2 (Wiggins, Chapter 325, Statutes of 2009) extended the
authorized use of funds within the Account for purposes relating
to other pests and diseases and extends sunset dates to 2016 for
provisions relating to Pierce's Disease and the glassy-winged
sharpshooter.
SB 1650 (Chesbro, Chapter 485, Statutes of 2004) extended sunset
dates to 2011 for provisions relating to Pierce's Disease and
the glassy-winged sharpshooter.
SB 295 (Chesbro, Chapter 12, Statutes of 2005) made conforming
changes and clarifies provisions relating to Pierce's Disease
and the glassy-winged sharpshooter.
AB 1394 (Wiggins, Chapter 103, Statutes of 2001) created the
Pierce's Disease and Glassy-winged Sharpshooter Board.
SB 671 (Chesbro, Chapter 21, Statutes of 2000) created the
Account within the DFA and appropriates $6.7 million from the
General Fund to this account to combat Pierce's Disease or its
vectors.
AB 1232 (Agriculture, Chapter 627, Statutes of 1999)
appropriated $750,000 for Pierce's Disease research provided
that $250,000 in private contributions is committed from the
viticulture and enology industry; creates a task force to advise
the Secretary of the DFA on the control and management of
Pierce's Disease.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: Yes Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
According to the Senate Appropriations Committee, the DFA
indicates that annual costs to administer this bill roughly $20
million, and are fully funded by federal funds and industry
assessments. The DFA also will incur a one-time cost of about
$50,000 related to the Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter Board
extension referendum, also covered by industry assessments.
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SUPPORT : (Verified 7/1/14)
California Association of Winegrape Growers (co-source)
Family Winemakers of California (co-source)
Wine Institute (co-source)
County of Santa Clara
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : According to the author's office,
Pierce's Disease is still a threat and this bill extends the
operation date of the Pierce's Disease Control Program, allowing
the DFA to continue funding programs and research towards
stopping the glassy-winged sharpshooter and controlling Pierce's
Disease.
The annual DFA report on Pierce's Disease states that the
Pierce's Disease Control Program has served as a model for other
pest and disease control programs and has been highly successful
over the last 10 years, mainly due to the successful cooperative
efforts of state and federal government, winegrape growers, and
researchers. Supporters agree, stating that the program "has
been proven to be a successful venture between industry and
government. Through the industry assessment, growers make a
commitment to generate revenue that in turn has attracted tens
of millions of dollars of federal contributions to fund the
fight against Pierce's Disease."
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 76-0, 5/27/14
AYES: Achadjian, Alejo, Allen, Ammiano, Bigelow, Bloom,
Bocanegra, Bonilla, Bonta, Bradford, Brown, Buchanan, Ian
Calderon, Campos, Chau, Ch�vez, Chesbro, Conway, Cooley,
Dababneh, Dahle, Daly, Dickinson, Eggman, Fong, Fox, Frazier,
Beth Gaines, Garcia, Gatto, Gomez, Gonzalez, Gordon, Gorell,
Gray, Grove, Hagman, Hall, Harkey, Roger Hern�ndez, Holden,
Jones, Jones-Sawyer, Levine, Linder, Logue, Lowenthal,
Maienschein, Mansoor, Medina, Melendez, Mullin, Muratsuchi,
Nazarian, Nestande, Olsen, Pan, Perea, John A. P�rez, V.
Manuel P�rez, Quirk, Rendon, Ridley-Thomas, Rodriguez, Salas,
Skinner, Stone, Ting, Wagner, Waldron, Weber, Wieckowski,
Wilk, Williams, Yamada, Atkins
NO VOTE RECORDED: Donnelly, Patterson, Quirk-Silva, Vacancy
JL:d 7/1/14 Senate Floor Analyses
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SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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