An act to amend Section 63126 of of, to add Section 77103 to, and to add Article 9 (commencing with Section 77196) to Chapter 16.5 of Part 2 of Division 22 of, the Food and Agricultural Code, relating to food and agriculture.
Summary
AB 2685 makes a narrow administrative change to California’s Food and Agricultural Code governing marketing laws for processing strawberries. Under existing law, the Secretary of Food and Agriculture must prepare an annual written report on the operations of the strawberry marketing order and file it with the Legislature. This bill would instead require the secretary to post that report publicly on the Department of Food and Agriculture’s website, while continuing to include recommendations based on the annual review required by law.
The measure does not change the underlying marketing order program itself; it changes the reporting destination and public accessibility of the report. In practical terms, the bill shifts the report from a legislative filing requirement to an online public disclosure requirement, which may make the information easier for growers, processors, industry stakeholders, and the public to access.
Impact
AB 2685 amends Food and Agricultural Code Section 63126, affecting the reporting obligations tied to marketing orders that exclusively affect processing strawberries. The bill removes the requirement that the annual report be filed with the Legislature and replaces it with a requirement that the Secretary of Food and Agriculture make the report publicly available on the department’s website. It does not create a new program, impose a local mandate, or appear to have a direct appropriation impact, but it does alter how state agricultural oversight information is distributed and accessed.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have been received favorably and without controversy. It advanced through committee with unanimous or near-unanimous support in recorded votes, including 8-0, 14-0, and 68-0 votes, and was recommended for the Consent Calendar. That voting pattern suggests broad agreement that the change is administrative and noncontroversial, with little opposition expressed in the available record.
Contention
No significant points of contention are evident in the bill text or voting history provided. The only likely policy consideration is whether the report should continue to be formally filed with the Legislature or instead be made available online for broader public access. Based on the unanimous votes and Consent Calendar treatment, any disagreement over that procedural change appears minimal or absent.