California Senate Bill SB1354 Latest Draft

 BILL NUMBER: SB 1354AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY AUGUST 1, 2016 AMENDED IN SENATE MAY 19, 2016 INTRODUCED BY  Senator   Galgiani   Senators   Galgiani   and Nielsen   (   Principal  coauthors:   Senators   Berryhill   and Cannella   )   (   Coauthors:   Senators   Glazer,   Stone,   and Vidak   )  FEBRUARY 19, 2016 An act to add Section 5913.5 to the Food and Agricultural Code, relating to agricultural pest control, and declaring the urgency thereof, to take effect immediately. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SB 1354, as amended, Galgiani. Agricultural pest control: Asian citrus psyllid: Huanglongbing. Under existing law, the Department of Food and Agriculture has various duties relating to the prevention and control of damage caused by citrus pests and diseases. The Legislature has expressed a finding and declaration that the citrus killing diseases, Huanglongbing, citrus leprosis, citrus variegated chlorosis, and citrus canker, and the associated vectors present a clear and present danger to California's citrus industry, as well as to other commodities and plant life. This bill would require the department, upon the appropriation of funds for that purpose, to support specified research activities relating to the Asian citrus psyllid and Huanglongbing. The bill would also require the department, upon the appropriation of funds for that purpose, to work with county agricultural commissioners, pest control advisors, researchers, the Citrus Research Board, or any or all of them, to establish a process for voluntary tracking of best practices for managing Asian citrus psyllid-infested and Huanglongbing-infected groves, as specified. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute. Vote: 2/3. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 5913.5 is added to the Food and Agricultural Code, to read: 5913.5. (a) The department shall, upon the appropriation of funds for that purpose, support research activities relating to the Asian citrus psyllid and Huanglongbing. These activities  shall   may  include, but  are  not necessarily  be  limited to, all of the following: (1) Finding a cure, suppression tactic, or both, for the bacterium that causes Huanglongbing. (2) Development of early detection techniques to identify diseased  trees,   trees  to determine if they are  treatable, and   treatable and,  if they are not treatable, to eliminate them to protect neighboring trees from the disease. (3) Development of resistant rootstocks, scions, or psyllids. (4) Improved psyllid trapping and control methods. (5) Expanded biological control availability for the Asian citrus psyllid in priority areas where there is a reasonable expectation of success. (6) New horticultural methods to maximize crop production in the presence of Huanglongbing. (7) Support for new and existing containment research facilities for projects investigating Huanglongbing. (b) The department shall also, upon the appropriation of funds for that purpose, work with county agricultural commissioners, pest control advisors, researchers, the Citrus Research Board, or any or all of them, to establish a process for voluntary tracking of best practices for managing Asian citrus psyllid-infested and Huanglongbing-infected groves. The information collected shall be used to establish recommended management protocols based on best available science and treatment outcomes. SEC. 2. This act is an urgency statute necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety within the meaning of Article IV of the Constitution and shall go into immediate effect. The facts constituting the necessity are: Due to the rapid infestation of the Asian citrus psyllid and increasing Huanglongbing detections, this act is needed to provide immediate help to prevent this invasive pest and disease from destroying residential and commercial California citrus trees, and it is therefore necessary that this act take effect immediately.