Bill Text: CA SB1448 | 2023-2024 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Farm to Community Food Hub Advisory Committee: California Agricultural Land Equity Task Force.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-04-26 - Set for hearing May 6. [SB1448 Detail]
Download: California-2023-SB1448-Amended.html
|
Amended
IN
Senate
March 18, 2024 |
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE—
2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION
Senate Bill
No. 1448
| Introduced by Senator Hurtado |
February 16, 2024 |
An act to amend Section 4726 of the Public Resources Code, relating to forestry. Sections 591 and 594 of the Food and Agricultural Code, and to add Section 75129.5 to the Public Resources Code, relating to food and agriculture.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SB 1448, as amended, Hurtado.
Forestry: big tree destruction: penalties. Farm to Community Food Hub Advisory Committee: California Agricultural Land Equity Task Force.
(1) Existing law establishes the Farm to Community Food Hub Program, which is administered by the Office of Farm to Fork in the Department of Food and Agriculture, which is under the control of the Secretary of Food and Agriculture. Existing law requires the secretary to establish the Farm to Community Food Hub Advisory Committee for the purpose of advising the secretary with respect to their responsibilities regarding the program. Existing law requires the advisory committee to comprise 10 members from specified regions, including 4 members who are an executive or manager of a food supply chain business headquartered in California, 4 members who are an executive or director of a civil society organization or a representative of an academic institution, and one member who is a farmer or rancher meeting specified
qualifications. Existing law repeals these provisions on January 1, 2028.
This bill would instead require the advisory committee to comprise 7 members, and would require the secretary to ensure geographic diversity within the advisory committee. The bill would require the advisory committee to instead include 2 members who are representatives of food supply chain businesses headquartered in California, 2 members who are representatives of civil society organizations or of an academic institution, one member who is a member of the department’s BIPOC Producer Advisory Committee, and one member who is a member of the department’s Small-Scale Producer Advisory Committee, as specified. The bill would extend the operation of the program until January 1, 2030.
(2) Existing law appropriated $1,000,000 to the Strategic Growth Council to establish the California Agricultural Land Equity Task Force to develop recommendations on how to equitably increase access to agricultural land
for food production and traditional tribal agricultural uses. Existing law requires the task force, on or before January 1, 2026, to submit a report to the Legislature and Governor that includes a set of policy recommendations on how to address the agricultural land equity crisis.
This bill would authorize the council, using existing or private funds, to provide public task force members a reasonable per diem allowance, as specified, or at a higher rate authorized by the task force, for each day’s attendance at a noticed meeting of the task force. The bill would require the report to be posted on the council’s internet website.
Existing law provides that it is the policy of the state to preserve as far as possible the species Sequoia gigantea in the interest of conservation, both of soil and the species itself, and for the benefit of present and future generations. Existing law provides that a person who willfully cuts down, strips of its bark, or destroys by fire, a tree over 16 feet in diameter, in the groves of big trees situated in specified counties, is guilty of a misdemeanor, and is punishable by a fine of not less than $100 nor more than $600, or imprisonment, or both fine and imprisonment, as provided.
This bill would raise the above-described fine to not less than $1,000 nor more than $6,000.
Digest Key
Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NOBill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 591 of the Food and Agricultural Code is amended to read:591.
(a) The Farm to Community Food Hub Program is hereby established for the purpose of piloting investments in the capital aggregation and distribution infrastructure needed to increase purchasing of local, environmentally sustainable, climate-smart, and equitably produced food by schools and other institutions, build a better food system economy, support the local farming economy, accelerate climate adaptation and resilience, and employ food system workers with fair wages and working conditions.(b) The program shall be administered by the Office of Farm to Fork in the department. The department may consult with outside entities who possess expertise in the operation of food hubs and the areas described in subdivision (a), including, but not limited to, the
Sustainable Agriculture and Research Education Program, housed within the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources.
(c) (1) The secretary shall establish an advisory committee, which shall be known as the Farm to Community Food Hub Advisory Committee, for the purpose of advising the secretary in their responsibilities regarding the program.
(2) The advisory committee shall advise the secretary on education, outreach, and technical assistance for the program.
(3) (A) The advisory committee shall be composed of 10 comprise 7 members appointed by the office, with 3 members from northern California, 3 members
from central California, 3 members from southern California, and 1 member who is a farmer or rancher, as described in subparagraph (E), who may be selected from any one of the three regions. and the secretary shall ensure geographic diversity within the advisory committee. Each member may have an alternate.
(B) Four Two members and their alternates shall be an executive or manager a representative of a food supply chain business, including a producer,
processor, or purchaser, headquartered in California.
(C) Four Two members and their alternates shall be an executive or director a representative of a civil society organization, or a representative of an academic institution, including K–12 schools, with expertise in advancing food system improvements supportive of local food systems, equitable access to healthy food, labor in the food system, or climate-adaptive and climate-resilient food systems.
(D) One member and their alternate shall be a
representative of the Sustainable Agriculture and Research Education Program, housed within the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources.
(E)One member and their alternate shall be a farmer or rancher who qualifies as one or more of the following:
(i)Socially disadvantaged.
(ii)Beginning.
(iii)Limited resource.
(iv)A veteran.
(v)Disabled.
(vi)Operates a farm or ranch that is 500 acres or less.
(E) One member and their alternate shall be a member of the department’s BIPOC Producer Advisory Committee.
(F) One member and their alternate shall be a member of the department’s Small-Scale Producer Advisory Committee.
(4) The advisory committee may appoint officers and form subcommittees, with chairpersons appointed by the advisory committee, as needed, in order to carry out and fulfill its duties under this subdivision. The advisory committee shall determine the powers and duties of appointed officers and subcommittee chairpersons.
(5) An alternate member shall serve at an advisory committee meeting only in the absence of, and shall have the same
powers and duties as, a member in the same category as the alternate member, as described in paragraph (3), except for the powers and duties as an officer of the advisory committee. The number of alternate members present who are not serving in the capacity of a member shall not be considered in determining a quorum.
(6) An alternate member may serve at an advisory committee subcommittee meeting only in the absence of, and shall have the same powers and duties as, a member in the same category as the alternate member, as described in paragraph (3), except for the powers and duties as a subcommittee chairperson.
(7) Members and their alternates shall be reimbursed for the reasonable expenses actually incurred in the performance of their duties, as determined by the advisory committee and approved by the secretary.
(8) The secretary or their representative, the State Public Health Officer or their representative, and a county agricultural commissioner may serve as ex officio members of the advisory committee, in addition to the 10
7 members appointed pursuant to paragraph (3).
SEC. 2.
Section 594 of the Food and Agricultural Code is amended to read:594.
This article shall remain in effect only until January 1,SEC. 3.
Section 75129.5 is added to the Public Resources Code, to read:75129.5.
(a) Notwithstanding any other law, the council may, using existing or private funds, provide public members of the California Agricultural Land Equity Task Force, established pursuant to Provision 8 of Item 0650-001-0001 of the Budget Act of 2022 (Chapters 43, 45, and 249 of the Statutes of 2022), a reasonable per diem allowance as specified in Section 11564.5 of the Government Code, or at a higher rate that may be established by the task force, for each day’s attendance at a noticed meeting of the task force.(b) The report required pursuant to Provision 8 of Item 0650-001-0001 of the Budget Act of 2022 (Chapters 43, 45, and 249 of the Statutes of 2022) shall be posted on the council’s internet
website.
A person who willfully cuts down, strips of its bark, or destroys by fire, a tree over 16 feet in
diameter, in the groves of big trees situated in the Counties of Fresno, Tulare, or Kern, is guilty of a misdemeanor, and is punishable by a fine of not less than one thousand dollars ($1,000) nor more than six thousand dollars ($6,000), or by imprisonment in the county jail not less than 25 days nor more than 150 days, or by both
that fine and imprisonment.
