Pest control: vertebrate pest control research: repeal extension.

The California Assembly Committee on Agriculture proposes extending the state's vertebrate pest control research program through 2035, maintaining the current framework for research funding and oversight that would otherwise expire in 2026.

Under existing law, the Secretary of Food and Agriculture administers a vertebrate pest control research program with guidance from an advisory committee that provides annual recommendations. County agricultural commissioners collect fees based on pest control material transactions within their jurisdictions, which fund the Vertebrate Pest Control Research Account. The account provides continuous appropriations to the secretary for program operations.

The nine-year extension would preserve the current administrative structure, including the advisory committee's role, the fee collection system, and the dedicated research account. While the bill maintains existing funding mechanisms and program operations, the extended timeline allows for sustained research initiatives and continued allocation of appropriated funds through the new sunset date of January 1, 2035.