BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �



                                                                  AB 1647
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   May 7, 2014

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                  Mike Gatto, Chair

                   AB 1647 (Bigelow) - As Amended:  March 28, 2014

          Policy Committee:                              
          AgricultureVote:7-0

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:  
          No     Reimbursable:              No

           SUMMARY  

          This bill repeals the following requirements with respect to  
          fairs: 

          1)The requirement for fairs to make an annual report to the  
            Department of Food and Agriculture (DFA) of the total number  
            of free pass admissions issued and honored at the fair.

          2)The requirement that the Secretary expend up to $100,000 in  
            any fiscal year for exhibits at a state-supported fair that  
            show the process of production and use of agricultural  
            products in the state.

          3)The requirement that the Secretary annually arrange for a  
            conference of fair judges to help DFA make regulations for the  
            judging of exhibits, the requirement for which currently  
            authorizes the Secretary to spend up to $15,000 for the  
            conference.

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          Insignificant costs to DFA to implement the changes, likely  
          savings to the DFA Agriculture fund as a result of program  
          eliminations.

           COMMENTS  

           Purpose.   According to the author, fairs have endured financial  
          hardships since the state cut their funding in 2010.  Repealing  
          the requirements for an annual report on courtesy passes, an  
          annual conference on exhibits, and exhibit funding, would  








                                                                  AB 1647
                                                                  Page  2

          alleviate some of the cost pressure to fairs.  Since January 1,  
          2012, California fairs have had to depend completely on  
          self-generated revenues to operate.


           Analysis Prepared by  :    Joel Tashjian / APPR. / (916) 319-2081