California Assembly Bill AB2174 Amended / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: AB 2174AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN SENATE JUNE 14, 2012 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 14, 2012 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 3, 2012 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Alejo FEBRUARY 23, 2012 An act to amend Section 14611 of the Food and Agricultural Code, relating to fertilizer. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 2174, as amended, Alejo. Fertilizer: reduction of use. Existing law requires a person who manufactures or distributes fertilizing materials to obtain a license from the Secretary of Food and Agriculture. Under existing law, a licensee whose name appears on the label who sells or distributes bulk fertilizing materials is required to pay specified fees for each dollar of sales, including an amount not to exceed $0.001 per dollar of sales for all sales of fertilizing materials, to provide funding for research and education regarding the use and handling of fertilizing material, including, but not limited to, any environmental effects. This bill would specify that  the use of  the $0.001 per dollar of sales fee  is also   may be used  for the support of specified  technical  education  and research  programs that result in more  efficient and  agronomically sound  use   uses  of fertilizer materials and minimize the environmental impacts of fertilizer use, including, but not limited to, nitrates in groundwater  and emissions of greenhouse gases resulting from fertilizer use  ,  for the support of research programs that increase awareness of programs for efficient and agronomically sound use of fertilizer materials,  and for the support of education  on efficient and   to increase awareness of more  agronomically sound  use   uses  of fertilizer  materials   products to reduce environmental impacts, as specified  . Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no. State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 14611 of the Food and Agricultural Code is amended to read: 14611. (a) A licensee whose name appears on the label who sells or distributes bulk fertilizing materials, as defined in Sections 14517 and 14533, to unlicensed purchasers, shall pay to the secretary an assessment not to exceed two mills ($0.002) per dollar of sales for all fertilizing materials. A licensee whose name appears on the label of packaged fertilizing materials, as defined in Sections 14533 and 14551, shall pay to the secretary an assessment not to exceed two mills ($0.002) per dollar of sales. The secretary may, based on the findings and recommendations of the board, reduce the assessment rate to a lower rate that provides sufficient revenue to carry out this chapter. (b) In addition to the assessment provided in subdivision (a), the secretary may impose an assessment in an amount not to exceed one mill ($0.001) per dollar of sales for all sales of fertilizing materials, to provide funding for research and education regarding the use and handling of fertilizing material, including, but not limited to, support for University of California Cooperative Extension, the California resource conservation districts, other California institutions of postsecondary education, or other qualified entities to develop programs in the following areas: (1) Technical education for users of fertilizer materials in the development and implementation of nutrient management projects that result in more  efficient and  agronomically sound  use   uses  of fertilizer materials and minimize the environmental impacts of fertilizer use, including, but not limited to, nitrates in groundwater  and emissions of greenhouse gases resulting from fertilizer use  . (2) Research to improve nutrient management practices resulting in more  efficient and  agronomically sound uses of fertilizer materials and to minimize the environmental impacts of fertilizer use, including, but not limited to, nitrates in groundwater  and emissions of greenhouse gases resulting from fertilizer use  . (3) Education to increase awareness of  efficient and   more  agronomically sound use of fertilizer products to reduce the environmental impacts resulting from the  over use   overuse  or inefficient use of fertilizing materials.