Agricultural commissions.

The California Assembly Committee on Agriculture has put forward comprehensive modifications to agricultural commission operations and oversight, focusing on nursery stock licensing, commission governance, and assessment structures. The legislation revises licensing authority for the Secretary of Food and Agriculture, allowing suspension or revocation of nursery stock licenses based on violations related to the California Grape Rootstock Improvement Commission.

The bill restructures agricultural commission governance by introducing alternate members for both producer and public positions. Each district must maintain one alternate producer member, elected similarly to primary members, while the Secretary appoints an alternate public member from commission nominees. These alternates possess full voting rights when serving in place of absent members. The legislation also establishes ex officio members as non-voting participants and refines eligibility requirements for handlers and producers across various commodity boards.

Assessment procedures receive substantial revision under the measure. Commissions may now establish assessments as either fixed rates or percentages of sales value, with a total cap of 6.5% of gross sales between producers and handlers. Administrative expenditures face a separate 2.5% limitation. Handlers must serve as assessment trustees, deducting fees from producer payments until remittance to the commission. The bill expands commission authority over product standards, permitting recommendations on quality and labeling requirements beyond existing maturity guidelines.

The legislation addresses operational continuity through detailed provisions for commission suspension, requiring asset liquidation and pro rata distribution of remaining funds to assessed parties. When refund amounts prove impractical, funds may transfer to relevant state or federal programs. New definitions incorporate toll processors into regulatory frameworks while extending personal liability to corporate officers and LLC members for assessment-related violations.