California Assembly Bill AB1647 Amended / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: AB 1647AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 28, 2014 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Bigelow FEBRUARY 11, 2014 An act to  amend Section 19620 of the Business and Professions Code   repeal Sections 3029 and 4401.5 of the Food and Agricultural Code  , relating to  the Fair and Exposition Fund   fairs  . LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 1647, as amended, Bigelow.  Fair and Exposition Fund.   Fairs: Department of Food and Agriculture.   (1) Existing law requires that each state, district, county, or citrus fruit fair that receives state funds make an annual report to the Department of Food and Agriculture regarding the total number of credential and courtesy pass admissions issued and honored at the fair.   This bill would delete this requirement.   (2) Existing law requires the Secretary of Food and Agriculture to expend up to $100,000 in any fiscal year for exhibits at a state-supported fair that demonstrate the process of production and use of food and fiber from the producer to the consumer in this state. Existing law requires the secretary to annually provide for a conference of fair judges to aid the department in prescribing regulations for the judging of exhibits and for the premiums paid for all classes, sections, and types of exhibits, and authorizes the secretary to expend up to $15,000 in any fiscal year for these purposes.   This bill would eliminate these provisions.   Under existing law, the Department of Food and Agriculture is responsible for ensuring the integrity of the Fair and Exposition Fund, administering allocations from the fund, and providing oversight of activities at each California fair.   This bill would make a nonsubstantive change to these provisions.  Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee:  no   yes  . State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:  SECTION 1.   Section 3029 of the   Food and Agricultural Code   is repealed.   3029. Each fair shall make an annual report to the department, as prescribed by the department, of the total number of credential and courtesy pass admissions issued and honored at the fair.   SEC. 2.   Section 4401.5 of the   Food and Agricultural Code   is repealed.   4401.5. (a) The director shall expend an amount not to exceed a total of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) in any fiscal year for any exhibit or exhibits located on any state-supported fair demonstrating, in a creative and innovative manner, the process of production and use of food and fiber from the producer to the consumer in this state. (b) The director shall annually provide for a conference of fair judges to aid the department in prescribing regulations adopted pursuant to Section 4501. The director may expend up to fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000) in any fiscal year for such purposes.   SECTION 1.   Section 19620 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read: 19620. (a) The Legislature finds and declares that the Department of Food and Agriculture is responsible for ensuring the integrity of the Fair and Exposition Fund, administering allocations from the fund to the network of California fairs, as defined in Sections 19418 to 19418.3, inclusive, and providing oversight of activities carried out by each California fair. (b) Oversight shall include, but not be limited to, the following: (1) Monitoring the solvency of the Fair and Exposition Fund. (2) Distributing available state resources to the network of California fairs based on criteria for state allocations approved by the Secretary of Food and Agriculture. The criteria for the distribution of available state resources to the network of California fairs shall not include a consideration of the structure that governs the fair. (3) Creating a framework for the administration of the network of California fairs allowing for maximum autonomy and local decisionmaking authority, and conducting, or causing to be conducted, annual fiscal audits and periodic compliance audits. (4) Conducting fiscal and performance audits of county fairs and citrus fruit fairs that are requested by the fair that is the subject of the audit, and that the Department of Food and Agriculture deems to be necessary. (5) Guiding and providing incentives to fairs to seek matching funds and generate new revenue from a variety of sources. (6) Supporting continuous improvement of fair programming to ensure that California fairs remain highly relevant community institutions.