Bill Text: CA SR115 | 2023-2024 | Regular Session | Enrolled

California Senate Resolution 115

Bill Title: Relative to food and agriculture.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2024-08-15 - Read. Adopted. (Ayes 38. Noes 0. Page 5075.) [SR115 Detail]

Download: California-2023-SR115-Enrolled.html

Enrolled August 16, 2024

Passed IN Senate August 15, 2024

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Resolution

No. 115

Introduced by Senator Grove

August 07, 2024

Relative to food and agriculture.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

SR 115, Grove.

WHEREAS, An intermediate crop is a nonfood crop of renewable biomass that otherwise meets the definition of a cover crop and is planted and harvested on land that would otherwise be idle in a rotation pattern between main crops or in a fallow rotation; and

WHEREAS, Intermediate crops possess the potential to produce ultralow carbon renewable fuels and sustainable aviation fuels to meet the growing demand for alternative energy sources; and

WHEREAS, Similar to cover crops, intermediate crops provide important conservation benefits, including by reducing erosion and nutrient loss to improve soil health and permeability; and

WHEREAS, Intermediate crops represent a meaningful opportunity for agricultural producers in the United States to capture additional income by growing intermediate crops on otherwise idle or fallow acres between crop cycles without displacing food crops; and

WHEREAS, By increasing the planted acreage of intermediate crops, such as the intermediate crop Camelina sativa, California can further diversify renewable energy sources and strengthen domestic energy production while bolstering rural economies; and

WHEREAS, In 2023, the intermediate crop Camelina sativa alone was produced on more than 45,000 designated acres in the United States; and

WHEREAS, The continued expansion of support for intermediate crops is important to help increase acreage and farmer adoption; and

WHEREAS, The United States government’s Sustainable Aviation Fuel Grand Challenge and the federal Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (Public Law 117-169) prioritize and incentivize the increased use of renewable fuels and sustainable aviation fuels, resulting in a need for more feedstocks; and

WHEREAS, Intermediate crops do not contribute to land use change or food insecurity and can help the state meet the growing demand for renewable fuel feedstocks responsibly; and

WHEREAS, In anticipation of expanded interest in intermediate crops as a source of renewable fuels, October would be an appropriate month to be designated as California Intermediate Crop Month; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, That the Senate designates October 2024 as California Intermediate Crop Month; and be it further

Resolved, That the Senate recognizes the potential of intermediate crops to provide additional revenue streams to rural communities and contribute to renewable energy goals; and be it further

Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.