Pest control: citrus disease prevention.

(1) Existing law authorizes the Department of Food and Agriculture, with the prior approval of the Department of Fish and Wildlife and the State Department of Health Care Services, to reproduce or distribute biological control organisms that are not detrimental to the public health and safety that are known to be useful in reducing or preventing plant or animal damage due to pests or diseases. Existing law prohibits the department from engaging in the production of beneficial organisms when those organisms are available for purchase from commercial sources. This bill would instead prohibit the department from engaging in the production of beneficial organisms when those organisms are available in sufficient amounts for purchase from commercial sources. (2) Existing law creates in the department the California Citrus Pest and Disease Prevention Committee and provides for its continuation, and that of the California Citrus Pest and Disease Prevention Program, every 4 years subject to a referendum of the citrus producers on or before June 30, 2013, and every 4 years thereafter. Pursuant to this referendum the department has extended the citrus pest and disease prevention program for an additional 4 years. Under existing law, the committee is required to develop and make recommendations to the Secretary of Food and Agriculture on all matters regarding the implementation of the citrus pest and disease prevention program. This bill would prohibit the secretary from altering any citrus pest and disease prevention program or activity submitted by the committee to, and approved by, the secretary without first notifying the committee of the alteration. (3) Existing law requires the committee to reimburse the secretary for all expenditures incurred by the secretary in carrying out his or her duties and responsibilities pursuant to the citrus pest and disease prevention program, including the costs of implementing and administering the administrative, enforcement, and regulatory recommendations of the statewide work plan developed by the committee. This bill would require that all expenditures be reasonable and would prohibit the secretary from seeking reimbursement for costs that exceed expenditures developed by the committee without first notifying the committee of the additional expenditures.