BILL ANALYSIS Ó
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SB 1018|
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THIRD READING
Bill No: SB 1018
Author: De León (D)
Amended: 3/26/14
Vote: 21
SENATE AGRICULTURE COMMITTEE : 5-0, 4/1/14
AYES: Galgiani, Cannella, Berryhill, Lieu, Wolk
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : 5-0, 4/28/14
AYES: De León, Gaines, Hill, Lara, Steinberg
NO VOTE RECORDED: Walters, Padilla
SUBJECT : Pest control: citrus disease prevention
SOURCE : California Citrus Mutual
DIGEST : This bill specifies that only reasonable, rather than
all, expenditures incurred by the Department of Food and
Agriculture (DFA) be reimbursed from the Citrus Disease
Management Account (CDMA) for responsibilities related to the
Citrus Pest and Disease Prevention Program. This bill requires
the Secretary of DFA (Secretary) to obtain approval from the
California Citrus Pest and Disease Prevention Committee (CCPDPC)
for any changes to program activities or increases in
expenditures.
ANALYSIS :
Existing law:
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1.Establishes the CCPDPC within the DFA to advise the Secretary
on efforts to prevent and manage citrus pests and diseases.
An assessment is levied on citrus producers and deposited into
the CDMA for the sole purpose of combating citrus-specific
pests and diseases. CDMA may also contain funds from federal
and other non-General Fund sources. The current assessment
rate is eight cents per 40 pound carton, which amounts to $16
million annually and represents 64% of the total budget for
this program.
2.Authorizes CCPDPC to develop, under the approval of the
Secretary, a statewide citrus-specific pest and disease work
plan and recommend an annual assessment rate and budget.
Requires the CCPDPC to reimburse the Secretary for all
expenditures incurred in carrying out, implementing, and
administering the statewide work plan.
This bill:
1.Specifies that only reasonable, rather than all, expenditures
incurred by DFA in carrying out responsibilities pursuant to
the Citrus Pest and Disease Prevention Program be reimbursed
by the CCPDPC.
2.Requires the Secretary to obtain approval from the CCPDPC
before making any changes to program activities.
3.Requires the Secretary to obtain approval from the CCPDPC
before seeking reimbursement for additional expenditures not
previously developed by CCPDPC.
Background
Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) is an invasive pest that feeds on
citrus plants' leaves and stems and causes shoot deformation and
plant stunting. More importantly, ACP may transmit
Huanglongbing (HLB), a bacterial plant disease that causes
citrus trees to produce unpalatable/inedible fruit before
ultimately killing the tree.
According to the University of California Division of
Agriculture and Natural Resources (UCANR), the citrus industry,
the University of California, and both the state and federal
governments are working to eliminate and prevent the
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establishment of ACP and HLB in California. Much of the
research is conducted with funding from the citrus industry
through the Citrus Research Board; UCANR; DFA Specialty Crops
Block Grants; and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, National
Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA).
The Agricultural Act of 2014 (H.R. 2642) was signed into law on
February 7, 2014, and directs $125 million of the USDA Specialty
Crop Research Initiative funding toward citrus disease research
over the next five years. The federal 2014 budget includes an
additional $20 million to combat the spread of citrus pests and
diseases.
Prior Legislation
AB 571 (Gatto, 2013) would have appropriated $5 million from the
General Fund to the CDMA within the DFA Fund for the purposes of
combating citrus disease or its vectors. The bill was vetoed by
Governor Brown.
AB 604 (De Leon and Fuller, Chapter 17, Statutes of 2010)
authorizes DFA to spend any monies it had collected in the CDMA
on citrus specific pest and disease programs through June 30,
2010.
AB 281 (De Leon, Chapter 426, Statutes of 2009) establishes the
CCPDPC and the CDMA within DFA to prevent and manage citrus
pests and diseases, and allows CCPDPC to levy fees on citrus
producers to pay for citrus disease detection and control
programs.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
According to the Senate Appropriations Committee, the fiscal
effect of this bill is uncertain; it would be determined by
whether or not a citrus pest and the disease it carries spread
from other countries and southern states (especially Florida) to
California agriculture. If the disease does not become
established in California, this bill's costs would be minimal.
Conversely, if the disease becomes prevalent in California's
citrus groves, this bill's fiscal impact is unknown, but likely
significant.
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SUPPORT : (Verified 4/28/14)
California Citrus Mutual (source)
JL:k 4/28/14 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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