Citrus disease prevention: California Citrus Pest and Disease Prevention Committee.

Existing law generally provides for the eradication of pests that threaten this state's agriculture. Existing law provides that there is in the Department of Food and Agriculture the California Citrus Advisory Committee, comprised as specified. The committee is required to develop and make recommendations to the Secretary of Food and Agriculture on all matters regarding the implementation of an inspection program, as provided. This bill would create in the Department of Food and Agriculture the California Citrus Pest and Disease Prevention Committee, which would consist of 17 members (14 producers in the citrus fruit industry, 2 citrus nursery operators, and one public member) to be appointed by the Secretary of Food and Agriculture, as specified. The bill would set out the powers and duties of the committee, including, among others, the authority to develop, subject to the approval of the secretary, a statewide citrus specific pest and disease work plan that includes informational programs to educate and train residential owners of citrus fruit, local communities, groups, and individuals on the prevention of pests, and diseases and their vectors, specific to citrus and programs for surveying, detecting, analyzing, and treating citrus pests and diseases. The bill would provide for a monthly assessment, as provided and for specified related purposes, to be paid by producers, as defined and except as provided, and remitted to the department and deposited into the Citrus Disease Management Account, which the bill would create in the Department of Food and Agriculture Fund. The bill would provide for a referendum voting procedure regarding the continued operation of these provisions. Because this bill would impose assessment requirements on producers and handlers of citrus fruit, the violation of which would be a misdemeanor under other provisions of existing law, this bill would create a new crime, thereby imposing a state-mandated local program. 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. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.