Article 2 - Department of Food and Agriculture Fund

California Food and Agricultural Code — §§ 221-227

Sections (9)

Amended by Stats. 2024, Ch. 603, Sec. 1. (SB 1270) Effective January 1, 2025.

(a)The “Department of Food and Agriculture Fund,” which is a special fund, is continued in existence. Any moneys that are directed by law to be paid into the fund shall be paid into it and, unless otherwise specifically provided, shall be expended solely for the enforcement of the law under which the moneys were derived. The expenditure from the fund for the enforcement of any law shall not, unless otherwise specifically provided, exceed the amount of moneys that is credited to the fund pursuant to the law.

(b)Notwithstanding Section 13340 of the Government Code, all moneys deposited into the fund under the provisions enumerated in subdivision (c) are hereby continuously appropriated to the department without regard to fiscal years for expenditure in carrying out

the purposes for which the moneys were deposited and for making the refunds authorized by Section 302.

(c)All moneys deposited into the fund under the provisions enumerated below are hereby exempted from Sections 13320 to 13324, inclusive, of the Government Code:

(1)Article 7 (commencing with Section 5821) and Article 7.5 (commencing with Section 5850) of Chapter 8 of Part 1 of Division 4, Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 6701) of Part 3 of Division 4, and Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 53301) of Division 18.

(2)Article 5 (commencing with Section 6001) of Chapter 9 of Part 1 of Division 4.

(3)Article 8.5 (commencing with Section 6047.1) of Chapter 9 of Part 1 of Division 4.

(4)Article 5 (commencing with Section 6981) of Chapter 2 of Part 3 of Division 4.

(5)Chapter 1.5 (commencing with Section 7401) of Part 4 of Division 4.

(6)Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 14200), Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 14501), and Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 14901) of Division 7.

(7)Part 1 (commencing with Section 16301) and Part 2 (commencing with Section 17401) of Division 9.

(8)Sections 19225, 19227, 19312, and 19315.

(9)Division 10 (commencing with Section 20001).

(10)Division 11 (commencing with Section 23001).

(11)Part 4 (commencing with Section 27501) of Division 12.

(12)Division 16 (commencing with Section 40501).

(13)Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 44971) of Division 17.

(14)Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 52001) of Division 18.

(15)Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 52251) of Division 18.

(16)Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 52651) of Division 18.

(17)Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 52851) of Division 18.

(18)Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 55401), Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 56101), and Chapter 7.2 (commencing with Section

56701) of Division 20.

(19)Section 58582.

(20)Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 61301), Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 61801), and Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 62700) of Part 3 of Division 21.

(21)Division 24 (commencing with Section 81000).

(22)Chapter 5.5 (commencing with Section 12531) of Division 5 of the Business and Professions Code.

(23)Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 12700) of Division 5 of the Business and Professions Code.

(24)Chapter 14 (commencing with Section 13400) and Chapter 15 (commencing with Section 13700) of Division 5 of the Business and Professions

Code.

§ 221.1

Amended by Stats. 2011, Ch. 97, Sec. 1. (AB 222) Effective January 1, 2012.

Notwithstanding Section 221, the department shall establish all permanent positions with the Controller’s office, pursuant to standard state administrative practices.

§ 222

Amended by Stats. 1984, Ch. 144, Sec. 31.

The director shall keep a separate record of the classes and sources of income which are credited to, and disbursed from, the Department of Food and Agriculture Fund.

§ 223

Amended by Stats. 1982, Ch. 454, Sec. 25.

A sum not to exceed twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) may, upon approval of the Department of Finance, be withdrawn from the Department of Food and Agriculture Fund to be used as a revolving fund by the department for the purposes for which the Department of Food and Agriculture Fund may be used.

§ 224

Amended by Stats. 2019, Ch. 31, Sec. 4. (SB 85) Effective June 27, 2019.

Moneys transferred by the Controller to the Department of Food and Agriculture Fund from the Motor Vehicle Fuel Account pursuant to Section 8352.5 of the Revenue and Taxation Code shall be expended by the Secretary of Food and Agriculture as follows:

(a)Of the amount transferred each fiscal year, nine million dollars ($9,000,000) is hereby appropriated to the Department of Food and Agriculture for payment to the counties for pesticide use enforcement programs supervised by the Director of Pesticide Regulation. Reimbursement shall be apportioned to the counties in relation to each county’s expenditures to the total amount expended by all counties for the preceding fiscal year for pesticide use enforcement programs, as determined by the director, or with the collective agreement of the

county agricultural commissioners, disbursement to counties for a current fiscal year according to criteria developed in work plans, or any combination of reimbursement and disbursement as agreed upon by the director and the county agricultural commissioners. The amount to be transferred to any county for a fiscal year may be increased or decreased by the director to compensate for incorrect previous transfers to that county, or adjusted based on evaluations of annual county Pesticide Enforcement Work Plans conducted by the Department of Pesticide Regulation.

(b)Of the amount transferred each fiscal year, two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000) is hereby appropriated to the Department of Food and Agriculture for state and county liaison activities and for departmental expenses directly related to administration of this section.

(c)Of the amount transferred each fiscal

year, one million five hundred thousand dollars ($1,500,000) is hereby appropriated to the Department of Food and Agriculture for divisional and departmental overhead charges to the Department of Food and Agriculture.

(d)Of the amount transferred each fiscal year in excess of the amount transferred in the 2006–07 fiscal year, 7 percent is hereby appropriated to the Department of Food and Agriculture for full disbursement to the California Agricultural Commissioners and Sealers Association, as specified in Section 2003, and individual counties. The funds dispersed to individual counties, pursuant to subdivision (g), shall be in a proportion to offset expenses associated with programs, personnel, and materials that ensure the uniform application of state agricultural policy or administer programs supervised by the secretary.

(e)Notwithstanding any other law, of the amount

transferred each fiscal year, three million dollars ($3,000,000) is hereby appropriated for distribution to counties in a manner prescribed by the secretary for pest detection or trapping programs. These funds are intended to supplement funds available for pest detection or trapping in the annual Budget Act. As a condition of receiving these funds, counties shall not reduce their level of support from any other funds for pest detection or trapping programs. If a county declines to participate in a pest detection or trapping program, or fails to conduct the program to the state’s satisfaction, the secretary shall reduce, by the amount that would otherwise be allocated to the county, funds available pursuant to this subdivision and any state allocations from the annual Budget Act. Those forfeited funds are hereby appropriated to the Department of Food and Agriculture for purposes of operating the pest detection or trapping programs in those counties.

(f)(1) Of the amount transferred each fiscal year, three million dollars ($3,000,000) is hereby appropriated to the Department of Food and Agriculture to be used for emergency detection, investigation, or eradication of agricultural plant or animal pests or diseases during the fiscal year, upon approval of the Director of Finance. At the end of each fiscal year, any unencumbered balance of these funds shall be carried over to the next fiscal year, or at the discretion of the secretary, may be used for planning and research involving detection, investigation, eradication, and methods of quarantine compliance for agricultural plant or animal pests or diseases.

(2)The Department of Food and Agriculture shall develop policies, in consultation with the county agricultural commissioners and in compliance with any requirements of the annual Budget Act, to guide the ongoing use of these funds.

(g)The total amount transferred during each fiscal year less the amounts provided in subdivisions (a) to (f), inclusive, and any moneys in reserve, is hereby appropriated for either or both of the following purposes:

(1)To be paid to the counties for agricultural programs authorized by this code that are supervised by the Department of Food and Agriculture and administered by county agricultural commissioners. Reimbursement shall be apportioned to the counties in relation to each county’s expenditures to the total amount expended by all counties for the preceding fiscal year for agricultural programs, as determined by the secretary, or with the collective agreement of the county agricultural commissioners, disbursement to counties according to criteria developed in work plans for a current fiscal year, or any combination of reimbursement and disbursement as agreed upon by the

secretary and the county agricultural commissioners. The amount to be transferred to any county for a fiscal year may be increased or decreased by the secretary to provide that, insofar as those transferred unclaimed refundable gas tax funds for apportionment to the counties are available, no county shall receive smaller combined apportionments of gas taxes and unclaimed refundable gas taxes than that county would have received had the gas taxes been apportioned without the transfer required by Section 8352.5 of the Revenue and Taxation Code, as determined by the secretary, except that the amount of unclaimed refundable gas tax funds to be transferred to any county for a fiscal year may be increased or decreased by the secretary to compensate for incorrect previous transfers to that county, and to account for any failure to meet the criteria listed in Section 224.5.

(2)To be expended by the Department of Food and Agriculture for statewide

agricultural programs as agreed upon by the secretary and the county agricultural commissioners.

§ 224.5

Added by Stats. 2007, Ch. 421, Sec. 3. Effective January 1, 2008. Section operative July 1, 2008, by its own provisions.

(a)In order to be eligible for the transfer specified in subdivision (g) of Section 224, counties must meet all of the following criteria, as determined by the secretary:

(1)Currently employ or contract with a licensed agricultural commissioner.

(2)Submit annual agricultural expenditure reports to the department in a timely manner.

(3)Maintain county general fund support for agricultural commissioner services at least equal to the average amount expended for the five preceding fiscal years, unless the county is facing unusual economic hardship that precludes that support.

(b)In the event that a county does not meet the criteria listed in subdivision (a) in a timely fashion, nothing shall preclude the secretary from completing transfers only to those counties that have met the criteria, while reserving funds for distribution to counties that may later be determined to have met them, or to set a date certain each fiscal year by which all available funds will be distributed to the counties that have met the criteria.

(c)This section shall become operative on July 1, 2008.

§ 225

Added by Stats. 1984, Ch. 1041, Sec. 1.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, on all funds transferred from the Department of Food and Agriculture Fund and the Acala Cotton Fund for any purpose other than to carry out or enforce the law directly relating to the source of those funds, interest shall be paid to the Department of Food and Agriculture Fund or the Acala Cotton Fund which otherwise would have been earned if the funds had not been transferred.

§ 226

Amended by Stats. 1997, Ch. 696, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 1998.

(a)Notwithstanding Section 11044 of the Government Code, the sum of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) is hereby continuously appropriated from the Department of Food and Agriculture Fund in each fiscal year to the department for litigation expenses incurred by the Bureau of Market Enforcement.

(b)At any time in a given fiscal year that the one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) appropriated for litigation costs in subdivision (a) is completely expended, the Department of Food and Agriculture Fund and the General Fund shall share additional litigation costs on a basis of 20 percent paid by the Department of Food and Agriculture Fund and 80 percent paid by the General Fund. These additional funds are to be used only when the bureau or the department is a defendant, or becomes a cross-defendant, in an action relating to market enforcement.

(c)If a legal action is carried from one fiscal year to the next, the costs incurred in the following year shall not be charged against the one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) annually allocated pursuant to subdivision (a) to the bureau, but instead shall continue to be funded in the following years with 80 percent being paid by the General Fund and 20 percent being paid by the Department of Food and Agriculture Fund.

(d)In civil actions in which the bureau is a party, the prevailing party may be awarded court costs and attorneys fees.

§ 227

Amended by Stats. 2001, Ch. 103, Sec. 2. Effective July 25, 2001.

(a)Notwithstanding any other provision of law, in order to avoid unnecessary charges and to provide for efficient program implementation, the fees and assessments required by law to be paid to the director or the Department of Food and Agriculture Fund to support the agricultural programs specified in subdivision (b) of Section 230, except those specified in Article 5 (commencing with Section 6001) of Chapter 9 of Part 1 of Division 4, Article 8.5 (commencing with Section 6047.1) of Chapter 9 of Part 1 of Division 4, and Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 44971) of Division 17, may be deposited in the Department of Food and Agriculture Fund, or with an entity that is (1) a bank or other depository approved by the Department of Finance, (2) a marketing order board or commission created pursuant to this code, or (3) another state agency, designated by the agricultural program’s advisory body, if any. The fees and assessments required by law to be paid to the Department of Food and Agriculture Fund in Article 8.5 (commencing with Section 6047.1) of Chapter 9 of Part 1 of Division 4 may be deposited in the Department of Food and Agriculture Fund, or with an entity that is a bank or other depository approved by the Department of Finance. The director may designate that entity if an advisory body has not been created by statute for an agricultural program. All unencumbered funds in the Department of Food and Agriculture Fund and the Agriculture Trust Fund, including income therefrom, that have been collected pursuant to the agricultural program may also be deposited with the designated entity.

(b)The funds deposited with the designated entity shall be expended exclusively for the purpose of implementing and continuing the agricultural program for which they were collected.

(c)Prior to the deposit of any funds with an entity designated pursuant to subdivision (a), the entity shall enter into an agreement with the department that shall include, but not be limited to, all of the following requirements:

(1)The entity shall serve as custodian for the safekeeping of the funds.

(2)Funds deposited with the entity shall be encumbered for the exclusive purpose of implementing and continuing the agricultural program for which they were collected.

(3)Funds deposited with the entity shall be subject to an audit at least once every two years by an auditor selected by the director. A copy of the audit shall be provided to the director within 30 days of completion of the audit.

(4)The department shall be reimbursed for all expenses it incurs that are reasonably related to implementing and continuing the agricultural program for which the funds were collected in accordance with the agreement. With respect to the agricultural program created in Article 8.5 (commencing with Section 6047.1) of Chapter 9 of Part 1 of Division 4, the department shall be limited to those expenditures permitted under Section 6047.12. When practicable, as determined by the department, the designated entity shall deposit advance payments for these expenses with the department.

(5)The entity shall maintain a reserve in an amount sufficient to pay for costs arising from unanticipated occurrences associated with the administration of the program. Provided that, with respect to the agricultural program created in Article 8.5 (commencing with Section 6047.1) of Chapter 9 of Part 1 of Division 4, the reserve shall include only an amount sufficient to pay for costs associated with the administrative expenditures described in Section 6047.12, and may be expended annually for those purposes.

(d)In transferring funds from the department to any entity pursuant to subdivision (a), the director shall not be personally liable in any way for errors in judgment, mistakes, or other acts, either by commission or omission, except for his or her own individual acts of dishonesty or crime.