Inedible kitchen grease transporters: dead animal haulers.

(1) Existing law regulates transporters of inedible kitchen grease, and requires those transporters to be registered and pay a specified registration fee. Existing law also authorizes the Department of Food and Agriculture to assess an additional fee on transporters of inedible kitchen grease, as specified, for purposes of administering the provisions regulating these transporters. Under existing law, this additional fee authority will become inoperative on July 1, 2010, and will be repealed on January 1, 2011. Other provisions of existing law make a violation of these provisions a crime and require the funds collected to be deposited into the continuously appropriated Food and Agriculture Fund. This bill would extend the operation of these provisions until July 1, 2015, and would repeal them on January 1, 2016. By extending the operation of an existing crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. By extending the operation of these provisions of law requiring collection and deposit of funds into a continuously appropriated fund, this bill would make an appropriation. (2) Existing law prohibits a dead animal hauler or any other person from transporting any dead animal to any place, other than to certain specified facilities or destinations, unless a certain waiver is granted by the State Veterinarian. Existing law makes a violation of these provisions a crime. This bill would also make that prohibition inapplicable when a waiver is granted by the State Veterinarian in conjunction with implementation of a state of emergency or local emergency, as defined. The bill would authorize the Secretary of Food and Agriculture to issue a master or individual permit to a licensed renderer, collection center, or dead animal hauler for the purpose of authorizing transport of a dead animal to an appropriately permitted landfill under certain circumstances. (3) 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.