Agricultural seed: county seed enforcement subventions.

Existing law, the California Seed Law, provides that the Secretary of Food and Agriculture may pay counties, from moneys received by the secretary, as specified, an annual subvention for costs incurred in the enforcement of provisions of law relating to seed identification and quality. Existing law provides, pursuant to those provisions, that the subvention to counties be annually apportioned, as provided, according to whether the county has registered seed labelers. Existing law provides that agricultural commissioners of counties that choose to participate in the subvention program shall maintain a statewide compliance level on all seed within the county. Existing law provides that the secretary may withhold a portion of the funds designated to a county if that county fails to meet specified performance standards. Existing law provides that these provisions are operative until specified dates, but are all repealed on January 1, 2010. This bill would extend the operation of these provisions, as specified, and would repeal them on January 1, 2015. Under existing law, the fees collected pursuant to the California Seed Law are continuously appropriated to the Department of Food and Agriculture to carry out these provisions. By extending the operation of these subvention provisions, this bill would make an appropriation.