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Labor and tech Multiple bills on labor and technology with significant fiscal impacts were placed on the Assembly or Senate appropriations suspense files last week, reflecting growing concern about their cost and implementa- tion. They include: • Assembly Bill 1890, which California Farm Bureau supports. By Assemblymem- ber Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, D-Winters, the bill would establish state matching grants to support Napa County Farmwork- er Housing Centers historically funded through grower self assessments. • Assembly Bill 1883,which Farm Bureau opposes. By Assemblymember Isaac Bry- an, D-Los Angeles, the bill would signifi- cantly restrict the use of workplace safety and management tools, including produc- tivity monitoring and access tracking tech- nologies, while creating new enforcement authority and private rights of action. • Assembly Bill 1898, which Farm Bu- reau opposes. By Assemblymember Nick Schultz, D-Burbank, the bill requires em- ployers to disclose and track the use of arti- ficial intelligence-assisted workplace tools and allows for enforcement through state agencies and litigation. • Assembly Bill 1776, which Farm Bureau opposes. By Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, D-Winters, the bill
passage last week of a full farm bill reau- thorization by the U.S. House of Represen- tative. The passage marks a significant step forward after years of delays. Also known as the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, H.R. 7567 passed on a 224-200 vote. Fourteen Dem- ocrats supported the measure, including California’s Adam Gray, D-Merced, and Jim Costa, D-Fresno, along with Kevin Ki- ley, R-Rocklin, and the state’s full Repub- lican delegation. Despite uncertainty earlier last week due to ongoing negotiations and competing leg- islative priorities, House Agriculture Com- mittee Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson, R-Pennsylvania, secured enough bipartisan support to bring the bill to the floor. The bill now moves to the Senate, where its path forward remains uncertain. Pas- sage will require at least 60 votes, and ad- ditional changes are expected. Notably, the House removed a controversial pesticide labeling provision that had drawn opposi- tion from some members aligned with the Make America Healthy Again movement while retaining language aimed at limiting the impacts of California’s Proposition 12, the farm animal confinement initiative. Tax credit The Assembly Committee on Revenue and Taxation held a suspense hearing last
week to consider bills with potential im- pacts to the state’s general fund. Two agriculture-related tax credit mea- sures that California Farm Bureau supports were held on the committee’s suspense file. They are Assembly Bill 2427 by Assem- blymember David Tangipa, R-Fresno, and Assembly Bill 2192 by Assemblymember Jeff Gonzalez, R-Indio. Both bills would provide targeted tax relief for farmers. While the state continues to provide sig- nificant tax incentives to other industries, including film and television production, identifying comparable relief for agricul- ture remains a challenge in the current fiscal environment. Citrus greening The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency last week approved CarriCea T1, a gene-edited citrus rootstock designed to help trees defend against citrus greening disease, also known as huanglongbing. The disease has had severe impacts on Florida citrus growers and continues to pose a threat to citrus production nationwide. The new rootstock works from within the tree to improve resistance, potentially reducing the need for certain pesticide applications. The approval marks a significant de- velopment in ongoing efforts to address citrus greening and support long-term citrus production.
would expand California’s antitrust laws in ways that could disrupt common busi- ness practices, including those used by agricultural cooperatives for price dis- covery. Analysis cited unknown but po- tentially significant costs related to state enforcement and litigation. • Assembly Bill 2321, which Farm Bu- reau opposes. By Assemblymember Liz Ortega, D-San Leandro, the bill would require Cal/OSHA to refer workplace in- cidents involving death or disability to local prosecutors for potential criminal charges. While Cal/OSHA already has this authority, the bill would make referrals mandatory. The fiscal analysis estimated implementation costs likely in the tens of millions annually. • Senate Bill 1123, which Farm Bureau opposes. By state Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, the bill would allow agencies to bypass standard regulatory impact analy- sis requirements for major regulations if they determine benefits outweigh costs. Farm Bureau cited concerns about re- duced transparency and accountability in the regulatory process, and continues to actively engage with legislators and coa- lition partners to advocate on these mea- sures as they move through the process. Farm bill California Farm Bureau welcomed the
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14 Ag Alert May 6, 2026
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