Milk products: California Dairy Future Task Force.

Existing law authorizes the Secretary of Food and Agriculture to formulate stabilization and marketing plans that establish the prices to be paid by milk handlers for specified classes of market milk and requires a handler subject to a stabilization and marketing plan to pay an assessment to the secretary, as specified. Existing law requires that all moneys received by the secretary pursuant to these provisions be deposited into the Department of Food and Agriculture Fund, a continuously appropriated fund, and be used to defray expenses in connection with the administration of these provisions. This bill would make specified legislative findings and declarations regarding challenges faced by the dairy industry and would state specified intents of the Legislature relating to the development of recommendations to assist the dairy industry to achieve long-term success and sustainability. The bill would require the California Dairy Future Task Force, previously established by the secretary, to be continued in existence in order to evaluate and make recommendations on various issues relating to the specific purpose of developing a stable economic environment for all California dairy producers and processors. The bill would require that funding for the task force, not to exceed $500,000, be made available from assessment revenues paid to the secretary by handlers subject to a stabilization and marketing plan, subject to appropriation by the Legislature.