Farm Bureau at work California Farm Bureau’s government affairs team is at the Capitol, advocating for farmers, ranchers and agriculture’s future. Here are some key issues Farm Bureau is focused on this week.
Agricultural Employment California Farm Bureau opposes legisla- tion that passed out of the California State Senate judiciary and labor committees last week that would impose new regulatory burdens on farmers. Farm Bureau contends that Senate Bill 365, by state Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, would undermine employment dispute arbitration widely used by employ- ers. SB 399, by state Sen. Aisha Wahab, D-Hayward, would prohibit agricultural employers from meeting with employees to educate them about the impact of last year’s card-check unionizing legislation, Assembly Bill 2183. (See related commen- tary on Page 2.) SB 809, by state Sen. Lola Smallwood- Cuevas, D-Los Angeles, would add reg- ulations that would make it harder for employers to avoid hiring applicants with felony criminal records. All three bills advanced to the Senate Appropriations Committee for consider- ation of their fiscal impacts. Technology Assembly Bill 1016, sponsored by California Farm Bureau, passed from the Assembly Committee on Privacy and Consumer Protection with nearly unan- imous bipartisan support. (See related story on Page 6.) AB 1016 authorizes the state Department of Pesticide Regulation to create a train- ing program to help farmers gain access to unmanned aerial systems (drones) for pesticide applications. The bill would have been on the committee’s consent calen- dar for fast tracking noncontroversial mea- sures. However, the California Agricultural Aircraft Association filed an oppose-un- less-amended position. That forced the bill to be formally presented, and the commit- tee published an updated analysis. San Diego County Farm Bureau mem- ber Al Stehly testified that he hopes to use drones as part of his commercial qualified applicator business to improve worker safety and provide more efficient applica- tor services to his clients. Stehly said he has struggled to become licensed due to DPR’s structure for drone applicator training. AB 1016 modernizes the drone applica- tor training process, as the original statute was written before drones existed. The bill passed two policy committees with- out a no vote and has broad bipartisan support. Authored by Assembly Member Reggie Jones-Sawyer, D-Los Angeles, AB 1016 moves to the Assembly Committee on Appropriations. Livestock Senate Bill 485 by state Sen. Josh Becker, D-Menlo Park, was heard April 24 in the Senate Agriculture Committee.Farm Bureau took an opposed-unless-amend- ed position. After coordinating with California Cattlemen’s Association, Western United Dairies and the author’s office, Farm Bureau incorporated amend- ments and removed its opposition at the committee hearing. The bill would require the California
Air Resources Board and the California Department of Food and Agriculture to create a feed additive program to reduce emissions by Aug. 1, 2026. The bill would also require CARB and CDFA to provide the Legislature, two years after a safe and effective feed additive is commercially available, a report about further funding and scientific research that is necessary to
improve the incentive program. California Farm Bureau asked that beef cattle be removed from the program be- cause feed additives have not been thor- oughly researched in the industry. While the goal of the program would greatly benefit dairy cattle and help reach SB 1383’s 40% emission reduction goals, the same cannot be said for beef and
feeder operations. Therefore, the bill was amended to pertain only to the dairy in- dustry until more research can be con- ducted in other livestock sectors. Farm Bureau has moved to a neutral position and continues to work with ag- ricultural stakeholders and Becker on the parameters of an advisory working group called for in the bill.
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May 3, 2023 Ag Alert 13
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