AB 2778: Food and agriculture.

(1) The California Meat and Poultry Supplemental Inspection Act requires, until January 1, 2027, each person to be licensed before operating a meat processing establishment or a custom livestock slaughterhouse and sets annual license renewal fees for custom livestock slaughterhouses and meat processing establishments. The act, until January 1, 2027, also establishes application fees for initial, and renewal of, licenses for livestock meat inspectors and processing inspectors. The act, until January 1, 2027, imposes a penalty on applicants for renewal who fail to pay the renewal fee by the expiration date of the meat processing establishment, custom livestock slaughterhouse, livestock meat inspector, or processing inspector license and provides for revocation of the license if the applicant fails to pay the renewal fee, plus the penalty, within 90 days of the license’s expiration. The act makes a violation of these provisions a misdemeanor.

Existing law provides for the regulation, inspection, and licensing of poultry plants and for the regulation and licensing of poultry meat inspectors. Existing law, until January 1, 2027, specifies the license application fees for a new, previously unlicensed poultry plant and for a license application submitted upon change of ownership of an existing, previously licensed poultry plant. Existing law, until January 1, 2027, requires that an application for renewal of a license of a poultry plant, accompanied by a specified renewal fee, be made on or before the expiration of the license.

Existing law, until January 1, 2027, specifies the application fee for a poultry meat inspector license application and the renewal fee of that license. Existing law, until January 1, 2027, imposes a penalty of $25 on applicants for renewal who fail to pay the renewal fee by the expiration date of the license, and provides for revocation of the license if the applicant fails to pay the renewal fee, plus the penalty, within 90 days of the license’s expiration.

This bill would make these licensing fee and inspectors’ fee provisions operative indefinitely. By extending the operation of an existing crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

(2) Existing law establishes the Nutrition Incentive Matching Grant Program administered by the Office of Farm to Fork in the Department of Food and Agriculture, for purposes of encouraging the purchase and consumption of California fresh fruits, nuts, and vegetables by nutrition benefit clients, as defined. Existing law creates the Nutrition Incentive Matching Grant Account in the Department of Food and Agriculture Fund to collect matching funds received from a specified federal grant program, if available, and funds from other public and private sources. Existing law requires the program to provide grants upon the deposit of sufficient funds, including from a successful application for federal grant funding, if available, into the account. Existing law provides for the administration of the program and requires, subject to specified federal regulations, the department to award moneys in the account to qualified entities, as defined, for consumer incentive programs, among other things. A violation of the laws governing fruit, nut, and vegetable standards is a crime.

This bill would instead require the program to be administered in a manner designed to maximize eligibility for, and alignment with, relevant federal grant programs supporting nutrition incentives. The bill would specify that a certified mobile farmers’ market, as defined, is a qualified entity eligible to be awarded moneys through the program. By expanding the program to include certified mobile farmers’ markets, the bill would expand the scope of a crime and thereby impose a state-mandated local program.

(3) Existing law, the California Seed Law (the seed law), regulates the shipment, delivery, transport, and sale of agricultural or vegetable seed, as defined, within the state, and the investigation and prosecution of breach of contract or patent infringement claims against farmers for unauthorized possession or use of genetically engineered plants. The seed law is enforced by the Secretary of Food and Agriculture and by county agricultural commissioners and their qualified representatives, as provided. The seed law establishes a subvention program under which the secretary is required to annually apportion $120,000, in aggregate, among counties that choose to participate in the subvention program as a subvention for costs that the counties incur in the enforcement of the seed law. Under the seed law, the provisions that establish and govern participation in the subvention program are inoperative on July 1, 2027, except as specified, and all provisions relating to the subvention program are repealed on January 1, 2031.

This bill would instead make these provisions regarding the seed law inoperative on July 1, 2032, and would repeal them on January 1, 2036.

Under existing law, the moneys collected pursuant to the seed law, including registration fees, assessments, and penalty revenues, are continuously appropriated to the Department of Food and Agriculture to carry out its provisions.

By extending the operation of these subvention provisions, this bill would make an appropriation.

The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.