Existing law, until January 1, 2020, requires the Secretary of Food and Agriculture to create an industry-funded standardization program for purposes of implementing and enforcing provisions relating to fruits, nuts, and vegetable standards. Existing law requires the secretary to adopt regulations reasonably necessary to carry out those provisions, including establishing assessment rates and procedures for payment of assessments. Existing law establishes specified assessment rates for commodities that are not otherwise subject to a mandatory inspection fee, and for commodities that are subject to a mandatory inspection fee, to be deposited in the Department of Food and Agriculture Fund and used for implementing and enforcing the provisions specified above. Existing law requires the secretary to exempt any commodity subject to those provisions if a petition representing a specified
percentage of the producers is submitted to the secretary, as specified.
This bill would extend the repeal date of the standardized program provisions to January 1, 2025.