BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �



                                                                  AB 1722
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   April 9, 2014

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                  Mike Gatto, Chair

                  AB 1722 ( Bigelow) - As Amended:  March 12, 2014 

          Policy Committee:                               
          AgricultureVote:6-0

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

           SUMMARY  

          This bill prohibits any person convicted of grand theft for  
          stealing a horse, bovine animal or other specified farm animals,  
          from registering and owning a brand for a period of five years  
          following the date of conviction.  The bill requires those  
          convicted to submit to additional inspection prior to any  
          movement, transportation, or change of ownership of farm animals  
          for the five-year period and pay for the cost of such  
          inspections.

          The bill creates a fine of $1,000 per animal required to be  
          inspected for any violations, and increases the general fee the  
          Secretary of Agriculture may charge for inspections from $10 to  
          $12 per site.

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          No significant impact to the Department of Food and  
          Agriculture's costs.  The state's brand registration and  
          inspection program is financed, in its entirety, through brand  
          registration and inspection fees paid by cattle owners.

          Revenue and costs derived from the penalties and brand  
          inspections are unlikely to be significant given historically  
          low convictions for felony grand theft of livestock and modest  
          increase in fees for general inspections.

           COMMENTS  

          1)  Cattle theft  .  According to the author, increases in the value  
            of beef have contributed to growing instances of cattle theft  








                                                                  AB 1722
                                                                  Page  2

            over the past few years.  Over the past five years, an average  
            of nearly 1,300 head of cattle has been reported stolen or  
            missing in California, an increase of over 20% since the  
            period before the recession.  Five individuals were convicted  
            of felony grand theft of livestock over the past four years.

          2)  Purpose  .  According to the author, stronger deterrents must be  
            in place to combat cattle thieves and hold them accountable.   
            This bill would cause those people convicted of cattle theft  
            to lose their current brand and prohibit convicted individuals  
            from obtaining another brand for five years.


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