California 2025-2026 Regular Session

California Senate Bill SB493

Introduced
2/19/25  

Caption

District agricultural associations: secretary-managers: compensation.

Impact

A major change brought by SB493 is the requirement for the Secretary of Food and Agriculture to set a single salary range for secretary-managers. This process will include conducting salary surveys every three years to benchmark compensation against similar positions within federal, state, and local entities. By mandating these surveys, the bill aims to ensure that the salaries are competitive and reflect the responsibilities of the roles, while also considering budgetary constraints, which could ultimately affect local fair boards' operations and their financial planning.

Summary

Senate Bill 493, introduced by Senator Becker, amends Section 4508 of the Food and Agricultural Code regarding the compensation of secretary-managers of district agricultural associations. This bill addresses how compensation is determined for managers overseeing the numerous agricultural fairs in California, including the California Exposition and State Fair. Under current law, the compensation for fair managers is based on the classification of the fair seeking state funds. The bill proposes to recharacterize fair managers as secretary-managers and places the responsibility of fixing their compensation with the Secretary of Food and Agriculture, streamlining the process and ensuring consistency across different fairs.

Contention

One point of contention may arise from the broad authority granted to the Secretary regarding salary determination. Critics could argue that such centralization undermines local control and the ability of fair boards to dictate compensation based on unique local circumstances. Furthermore, the bill includes provisions for annual compensation adjustments based on cost-of-living increases and merit increases, which could also lead to disputes over how effectively these adjustments account for local economic conditions and manager performance across different agricultural associations.

Companion Bills

No companion bills found.

Similar Bills

CA AB482

California Table Grape Commission.

CA AB947

Agriculture: Cannella Environmental Farming Act of 1995.

CA AB1322

Agricultural commissions.

CA AB732

Agriculture: neglected or abandoned crops: pests.

US SB462

Truckee Meadows Public Lands Management Act

US HB1438

Protecting America's Agricultural Land from Foreign Harm Act of 2025This bill prohibits persons associated with the governments of Iran, North Korea, China, or Russia from purchasing or leasing agricultural land in the United States.Specifically, the President must prohibit any person (individual or entity) owned by, controlled by, or subject to the jurisdiction or direction of these foreign governments from purchasing or leasing (1) public agricultural land that is owned by the United States and administered by a federal department or agency, or (2) private agricultural land that is located in the United States.A person that violates or attempts to violate this prohibition is subject to civil and criminal penalties. This prohibition does not require a person that owns or leases agricultural land as of the date of this bill's enactment to sell that land.Further, the President must prohibit a person associated with these foreign governments and who leases, or who has full or partial ownership of, agricultural land in the United States from participating in Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs. Exceptions are included to allow for participation in USDA programs related to food safety, the health and labor safety of individuals, or certain reporting and disclosure requirements.The bill excludes U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents from these restrictions.The bill also amends the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act of 1978 (AFIDA) to require reporting on security interests and leases.Finally, the Government Accountability Office must submit a report to Congress on AFIDA.

US HB471

Fix Our Forests ActThis bill establishes requirements for managing forests on federal land, including requirements concerning reducing wildfire threats, expediting the review of certain forest management projects, and implementing forest management projects and other activities.Specifically, the bill (1) designates certain firesheds at high risk for wildfires as fireshed management areas; (2) directs the U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Geological Survey to jointly establish an interagency Fireshed Center that is responsible for duties related to assessing and predicting fire, including maintaining a fireshed registry on a publicly accessible website that provides interactive geospatial data on individual firesheds; and (3) makes other requirements related to reducing wildfire.Next, the bill expedites the review of certain forest management projects under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 and exempts certain activities from NEPA review. It also establishes intra-agency strike teams to accelerate the review and any interagency consultation processes under NEPA, the Endangered Species Act of 1973, and the National Historic Preservation Act. It also limits consultation requirements concerning threatened and endangered species under the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 and the Federal Land Management and Policy Act of 1976. Finally, it limits litigation involving fireshed management projects and limits remedies that courts may provide.Additionally, the bill supports reducing community wildfire risks, carrying out forest restoration and stewardship activities (including watershed protection and restoration), conducting biochar demonstration projects, advancing technologies to address forest wildfires, and assisting wildland firefighters and their families.

US HB1920

FARMLAND Act of 2025 Foreign Agricultural Restrictions to Maintain Local Agriculture and National Defense Act of 2025