Bill Text: CA SB1247 | 2015-2016 | Regular Session | Amended

California Senate Bill 1247 (Prior Session Legislation)

Bill Title: Agricultural innovation zones: voluntary incentive program.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Failed) 2016-11-30 - From committee without further action. [SB1247 Detail]

Download: California-2015-SB1247-Amended.html

BILL NUMBER: SB 1247	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN SENATE  APRIL 13, 2016

INTRODUCED BY   Senator Jackson

                        FEBRUARY 18, 2016

   An act to  amend Sections 564 and 566 of, and to add
Section 563 to,   add Part 3 (commencing with Section
1000) to Division 1 of  the Food and Agricultural Code, relating
to food and agriculture.



	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SB 1247, as amended, Jackson.  Environmental farming:
agricultural   Agricultural  innovation 
zones.   zones: voluntary incentive program. 
   Existing law requires the Department of Food and Agriculture to
establish and oversee an environmental farming program that provides
incentives to farmers whose practices promote the well-being of
ecosystems, air quality, and wildlife and their habitat.
   This bill  would also include practices that promote
public health, water quality, and soil health and would require the
department, as part of that program, to establish agricultural
innovation zones, as defined, and to give priority to agricultural
innovation zones for incentives to farmers, with special priority for
agricultural innovation zones in disadvantaged communities. The bill
would state the Legislature's intent relating to environmental
farming practices and the establishment of agricultural innovation
zones, as specified.   would, by January 1, 2018,
require the Department of Pesticide Regulation, in consultation with
the Department of Food and Agriculture, to establish a voluntary
incentive program for farmers who use environmental farming
practices, as defined, within an agricultural innovation zone, as
defined. The bill would require priority be given to projects in
agricultural innovation zones located in disadvantaged communities,
as defined. The bill would require the Department of Pesticide
Regulation, by January 1, 2021, and by January 1 every 3 years
thereafter, to issue   a report to the Legislature that
details the impacts of the voluntary agricultural innovation zones
incentive program and includes successes and challenges regarding the
process for distributing incentives and the projects that use the
incentives. The bill would require the departments to conduct these
activities with existing resources, to the extent they are available.

   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   SECTION 1.    Part 3 (commencing with Section 1000)
is added to Division 1 of the   Food and Agricultural Code
  , to read:  

      PART 3.  Agricultural Innovation Zones Incentive Program


   1000.  The Legislature finds and declares both of the following:
   (a) It is the intent of the Legislature to support farmers in
adopting environmental farming practices near schools and senior
health care centers that are more resilient to the unavoidable
consequences of climate change and that offer other societal and
ecosystem benefits.
   (b) It is further the intent of the Legislature that the
department establish a voluntary agricultural innovation zones
incentive program to provide incentives to farmers to adopt an
agricultural innovation zone and employ environmental farming
practices within that zone to protect the health and cognition of
future California generations. The establishment of agricultural
innovation zones in disadvantaged communities should be the highest
priority.
   1001.  Unless the context otherwise requires, the following
definitions govern the construction of this part:
   (a) "Agricultural innovation zone" means an area within ___ miles
of the boundary of a school or senior health care center where
farmers follow environmental farming practices.
   (b) "Department" means the Department of Pesticide Regulation.
   (c) "School" means any public or private facility used as a child
day care facility, as defined in Section 1596.750 of the Health and
Safety Code, or for kindergarten, elementary, or secondary school
purposes. The term includes the buildings or structures, playgrounds,
athletic fields, or any other area of property visited or used by
pupils. "School" does not include any postsecondary educational
facility.
   (d) "Senior health care center" means any facility that is a
licensed skilled nursing facility or licensed intermediate care
facility, as defined in Section 1250 of the Health and Safety Code,
or any facility that offers assisted living services, as defined in
paragraph (5) of subdivision (a) of Section 1771 of the Health and
Safety Code.
   (e) "Disadvantaged community" has the same meaning as defined in
Section 39711 of the Health and Safety Code.
   (f) "Environmental farming practices" means practices that promote
the well-being of ecosystems, air quality, public health, water
quality, soil health, biodiversity, and wildlife and their habitat.
Environmental farming practices include, but are not limited to, the
following:
   (1) The following federal Natural Resources Conservation Service
conservation practices:
   (A) Integrated pest management, practice code 595.
   (B) Cover crops, practice code 340.
   (C) Crop rotation, practice code 328.
   (D) Reduced tillage, practice code 345.
   (2) Federal Natural Resources Conservation Service conservation
enhancements regarding plantings, soil quality, and water quality.
   (3) Practices that improve soil health, decrease greenhouse gas
emissions, or sequester carbon.
   (4) Practices that avoid applications of pesticides other than
those authorized as part of organic certification pursuant to the
federal Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. Sec. 6501 et
seq.).
   1002.  (a) By January 1, 2018, the department, in consultation
with the Department of Food and Agriculture, shall establish a
voluntary incentive program for farmers who use environmental farming
practices within an agricultural innovation zone and shall give
priority to projects in agricultural innovation zones located in
disadvantaged communities.
   (b) The types of incentives available may include, but are not
limited to, loans, grants, technical assistance, education, and
demonstration projects.
   (c) The department, in consultation with the Department of Food
and Agriculture, shall establish specific criteria for determining
which farming practices qualify as environmental farming practices.
To be eligible for the program, applicants shall introduce at least
one new environmental farming practice that qualifies pursuant to
this subdivision.
   (d) The department shall establish procedures for applicants to
access the program and include a ranking system to determine which
projects may have the greatest impact toward improving soil health or
sequestering carbon.
   (e) At least 50 percent of any funding available for the program
shall be given to projects that avoid applications of pesticides
other than those authorized as part of organic certification pursuant
to the federal Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. Sec.
6501 et seq.).
   (f) The department may determine whether an applicant may access
incentives on the portion of their property that extends beyond the
agricultural innovation zone on a case-by-case basis.
   1003.  (a) By January 1, 2021, and by January 1 every three years
thereafter, the department shall issue a report to the Legislature
that details the impact of the voluntary agricultural innovation
zones incentive program and includes successes and challenges
regarding the process for distributing incentives and the projects
that use the incentives. The report shall include, but not be limited
to, data on all of the following:
   (1) The total number of acres of farmland that have adopted
environmental farming practices under the program.
   (2) The total number of acres of farmland that have adopted each
specific environmental farming practice under the program.
   (3) The counties where projects under the program are located and
how many projects are within those counties.
   (4) The reduction of pesticide use achieved under the program.
   (b) This report shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795
of the Government Code.
   1004.  The department and the Department of Food and Agriculture
shall conduct the activities specified in this part with existing
resources, to the extent they are available.  
  SECTION 1.    Section 563 is added to the Food and
Agricultural Code, to read:
   563.  The Legislature finds and declares both of the following:
   (a) It is the intent of the Legislature to support farmers in
adopting environmental farming practices near schools and day care
centers that are more resilient to the unavoidable consequences of
climate change and that offer other societal and ecosystem benefits.
   (b) It is further the intent of the Legislature that the
department establish agricultural innovation zones and prioritize
incentives to farmers who maintain or intend to adopt an agricultural
innovation zone to ensure the health and learning of future
California generations and that the establishment of agricultural
innovation zones in disadvantaged communities should be the highest
priority.  
  SEC. 2.    Section 564 of the Food and
Agricultural Code is amended to read:
   564.  Unless the context otherwise requires, the following
definitions govern the construction of this article:
   (a) "Agricultural activities" means those activities that generate
products as specified in Section 54004.
   (b) "Agricultural innovation zone" means an area within one mile
of a school or day care center where farmers follow environmental
farming practices, including organic farming practices, that promote
the well-being of ecosystems, air quality, public health, water
quality, soil health, and wildlife and their habitat and that do not
rely on synthetic inputs.
   (c) "Department" means the Department of Food and Agriculture.
   (d) "Panel" means the Scientific Advisory Panel on Environmental
Farming.
   (e) "Secretary" means the Secretary of Food and Agriculture.
 
  SEC. 3.    Section 566 of the Food and
Agricultural Code is amended to read:
   566.  (a) The department shall establish and oversee an
environmental farming program. The program shall provide incentives
to farmers whose practices promote the well-being of ecosystems, air
quality, public health, water quality, soil health, and wildlife and
their habitat.
   (b) As part of the program, the department shall establish
agricultural innovation zones and shall give priority to agricultural
innovation zones for incentives to farmers, with special priority
for agricultural innovation zones in disadvantaged communities.
   (c) The department may assist in the compilation of scientific
evidence from public and private sources, including the scientific
community, industry, conservation organizations, and federal, state,
and local agencies identifying the net environmental impacts that
agriculture creates for the environment. The department shall serve
as the depository of this information and provide it to federal,
state, and local governments, as needed.
   (d) The department shall conduct the activities specified in this
article with existing resources, to the extent they are available.