Department of Food and Agriculture: Department of Agriculture Building Fund.

Existing law authorizes the Department of Food and Agriculture, with the approval of the Department of General Services, to purchase or otherwise acquire real property. Existing law authorizes the Department of Food and Agriculture to construct and equip buildings upon that property and make improvements to the property, buildings, and equipment. Existing law continuously appropriates moneys in the Department of Agriculture Building Fund for these purposes. Under certain circumstances, existing law authorizes moneys in the Department of Agriculture Fund or any other funds subject to the jurisdiction of the Secretary of Food and Agriculture to be transferred from those funds to the Department of Agriculture Building Fund. Existing law requires moneys transferred from the Department of Agriculture Fund or other fund to be repaid from the Department of Agriculture Building Fund at specified frequencies, and upon the completion of any building or improvement and the fulfillment of the obligation to reimburse the applicable fund, requires any unused balances in the Department of Agriculture Building Fund, upon request of the secretary, to be transferred to the General Fund. Existing law requires the Department of Food and Agriculture to lease excess space in accordance with certain requirements and requires rentals collected from those leases to be deposited in the Department of Agriculture Building Fund. When all funds have been reimbursed for contributions that are made for the construction and equipping of the building or facility, existing law requires the Department of General Services to assume control of the operation and management of the building, improvement, or facility. This bill would revise and recast these provisions. The bill would eliminate the requirement to repay the source of funds that are transferred to the Department of Agriculture Building Fund and the requirement to transfer unused balances to the General Fund. The bill would eliminate the continuous appropriation of moneys in the Department of Agriculture Building Fund and would instead make moneys in the fund available, upon appropriation by the Legislature in the annual Budget Act, for the expenses of the property, improvements, and buildings under the control of the Department of Food and Agriculture. The bill would eliminate the requirement for the Department of General Services to assume control of a facility that is constructed or acquired pursuant to these provisions.