Commercial feed: license fee: inspection tonnage tax.

(1) Existing law requires that a license be obtained from the Secretary of Food and Agriculture for each location where commercial feed is manufactured, distributed, sold, or stored for later sale. Existing law requires each license application to be accompanied by an annual fee specified by the Department of Food and Agriculture for each location of at least $100, but not exceeding $600, with the specific fee to be set by the secretary upon recommendation of the Feed Inspection Advisory Board. Beginning January 1, 2010, the license fee is required to be $100 for each location. The funds collected are deposited into the continuously appropriated Food and Agriculture Fund. This bill would instead require the license fee to be $100 for each location beginning January 1, 2015. By extending the time during which a higher license fee may be applied, this bill would increase the fees that are deposited into a continuously appropriated fund thereby making an appropriation. (2) Existing law establishes an inspection tonnage tax for commercial feed, as specified, with a maximum rate of $0.15 per ton. The funds collected are deposited into the continuously appropriated Food and Agriculture Fund. Existing law, until January 1, 2010, authorizes the Secretary of Food and Agriculture to designate a specified amount of the tonnage taxes collected to provide funding for research and education regarding the safe manufacture, distribution, and use of commercial feed. This bill would extend to January 1, 2015, that authority of the secretary to designate a specified amount of the tonnage taxes collected for those purposes. By extending the purposes for which funds in a continuously appropriated fund may be spent, this bill would make an appropriation.