CHAPTER 3. Other Powers and Duties

Chapter 3 enacted by Stats. 1967, Ch. 15.

§§ 401–593 · 79 sections

1. ARTICLE 1. General Provisions §§ 401–412 · 13 sections

   • § 401 The department shall promote and protect the agricultural industry of the state.
   • § 401.5 The department shall also seek to enhance, protect, and perpetuate the ability of the private sector to produce food and fiber in a way that benefits the…
   • § 402 The department shall prevent fraud and deception in any of the following: (a) Packing or labeling, or in any phase of the marketing, of any agricultural…
   • § 403 The department shall prevent the introduction and spread of injurious insect or animal pests, plant diseases, and noxious weeds.
   • § 404 The department shall execute the provisions of this code, except as otherwise provided, and of other laws administered by it.
   • § 405 (a) With the prior approval of the Department of Fish and Wildlife and the State Department of Public Health, the department may reproduce or distribute…
   • § 406 The department shall require reports from commissioners.
   • § 407 The director may adopt such regulations as are reasonably necessary to carry out the provisions of this code which he is directed or authorized to administer…
   • § 408 The director may enter upon any premises to inspect the premises or any plant, appliance, or thing which is on such premises.
   • § 409 (a) Notwithstanding any other law, the department by rule or regulation may provide for the issuance and renewal on a two-year basis of licenses, certificates…
   • § 410 It is the intent of the Legislature that the Department of Food and Agriculture, in cooperation with appropriate county officials and industry representatives,…
   • § 411 (a) The Department of Food and Agriculture shall supply the Department of Water Resources with a forecast that estimates the amount of production of food,…
   • § 412 (a) The Legislature finds and declares that a diversity of dairy methane management practices, including anaerobic digesters and nondigester dairy methane…
2. ARTICLE 2. Services §§ 431–436 · 6 sections

   • § 431 The department shall collect and preserve books, pamphlets, periodicals, and other documents which contain information that relates to agriculture.
   • § 432 The department shall collect and prepare statistics, charts, films, photographs, and other illustrative or exhibit material and information which shows the…
   • § 433 The department shall correspond with agricultural societies, colleges, schools, the commissioners, and with all other persons who are necessary to secure the…
   • § 434 The department shall issue and cause to be printed and distributed to the commissioners, and to such other persons as it may deem proper, bulletins, charts,…
   • § 435 The director may establish an identification record service for parent root and top stock of fruit and nut trees. He shall establish a reasonable schedule of…
   • § 436 Any money which is received by the department pursuant to Section 435 shall be paid into the State Treasury and be credited to the Department of Food and…
3. ARTICLE 3. Surveys and Investigations §§ 461–462 · 2 sections

   • § 461 The department may conduct surveys or investigations of any nursery, orchard, vineyard, agricultural commodity, agricultural appliance, farm, or other premises…
   • § 462 The director may enter into an agreement with one or more organizations representing growers, shippers, manufacturers of agricultural commodities, nonprofit…
4. ARTICLE 4. Intergovernmental Cooperation §§ 481–486 · 6 sections

   • § 481 (a) The department may, with the approval of the Governor, cooperate with officials of the United States Department of Agriculture or with officials of other…
   • § 482 (a) The director may enter into cooperative agreements with individuals, associations, boards of supervisors, and with departments, divisions, bureaus, boards,…
   • § 483 The director may arrange for the services of any individual employed by the United States, the state, or a county on a collaborative basis and allow him a…
   • § 484 The director may enter into cooperative agreements with departments, divisions, bureaus, boards, or commissions of the United States for the purpose of…
   • § 485 (a) The secretary may enter into cooperative agreements with private entities, and with boards, bureaus, commissions, or departments of this state or of the…
   • § 486 Notwithstanding Section 482, the secretary may not enter into a cooperative agreement with a county of the first class, as defined in Section 28022 of the…
5. ARTICLE 4.5. Food Biotechnology Task Force §§ 491–492 · 2 sections

   • § 491 The Legislature finds and declares the following: (a) Consumers have an interest in being informed about the benefits and potential quantifiable risks to their…
   • § 492 (a) The Legislature hereby creates the Food Biotechnology Task Force. The task force shall be cochaired by the Secretary of California Health and Human…
6. ARTICLE 5. Sustainable Agriculture §§ 500–501 · 2 sections

   • § 500 Pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 821, it is the intent of the Legislature that programs at the University of California designed to promote research on,…
   • § 501 Pursuant to Section 500 and subdivision (d) of Section 821, the Legislature requests that the Regents of the University of California do both of the following:…
7. ARTICLE 6. Farmer Equity Act of 2017 §§ 510–515 · 6 sections

   • § 510 This article shall be known, and may be cited, as the Farmer Equity Act of 2017.
   • § 511 (a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following: (1) California recognizes the importance of investing in the long-term prosperity of our food and…
   • § 512 For purposes of this article, the following terms have the following meanings: (a) “Secretary” refers to the Secretary of Food and Agriculture. (b) “Socially…
   • § 513 (a) The department shall ensure the inclusion of socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers, including socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers in…
   • § 514 (a) On or before January 1, 2020, the department shall submit a report to the Governor and the Legislature on efforts to serve socially disadvantaged farmers…
   • § 515 (a) The department, in consultation with the Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) Producer Advisory Committee and the Small-Scale Producer Advisory…
8. ARTICLE 7. Poultry and Livestock Diagnostic Laboratories §§ 520–531 · 12 sections

   • § 520 “University,” as used in this article, means the University of California.
   • § 521 It is the intent of the Legislature that the department contract with the Regents of the University of California to operate poultry and livestock disease…
   • § 522 When a central diagnostic laboratory constructed on the Davis campus of the university is ready for occupancy, the director shall contract with the Regents of…
   • § 523 The contract executed pursuant to this article shall provide that the university maintain sufficient numbers of laboratories to perform the functions contained…
   • § 524 (a) A central diagnostic laboratory building to be constructed on the Davis campus of the university adjacent to the facilities of the Veterinary Medical…
   • § 525 After the contract has been executed pursuant to Section 521, the diagnostic functions of the regional laboratories maintained at Petaluma and Sacramento shall…
   • § 526 The contract shall provide that the university, in consultation with the department, shall establish a schedule of fees to help defray the cost of operation of…
   • § 527 The contract shall provide for all of the following services which, when included in the department’s budget, shall be provided without charge: (a) Services…
   • § 528 The contract shall specify the accounting procedures to be used and any reports necessary to assure compliance with state and university requirements.
   • § 529 It is intended that the contractual arrangement between the university and the department be of long-term duration. The department’s budget for the…
   • § 530 A member of the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory Board is entitled to be paid his or her actual expenses which are incurred while engaged in performing his or…
   • § 531 The budget for the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory shall be established as a line item in the budget of the department. The operating…
9. ARTICLE 8. Sustainable Agriculture §§ 550–555 · 6 sections

   • § 550 This article shall be known and may be cited as the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Act of 1986.
   • § 551 The Legislature finds and declares all of the following: (a) There is a growing movement in California and the nation to change farming techniques by adopting…
   • § 552 The purpose of this article is to promote more research and education on sustainable agricultural practices, such as organic methods, biological control, and…
   • § 553 (a) It is the intent of the Legislature that the Regents of the University of California establish the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program…
   • § 554 (a) If the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program is established by the regents, the President of the University of California shall establish…
   • § 555 If the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program is established by the regents, it shall be established from existing resources.
10. ARTICLE 8.5. The Cannella Environmental Farming Act of 1995 §§ 560–570 · 8 sections

    • § 560 This article shall be known as the Cannella Environmental Farming Act of 1995.
    • § 561 The Legislature finds and declares the following: (a) California agriculture helps to feed the world and fuel our economy. Agriculture provides one out of…
    • § 564 Unless the context otherwise requires, the following definitions govern the construction of this article: (a) “Agricultural activities” means those activities…
    • § 566 (a) The department shall establish and oversee a sustainable agriculture program. The program shall provide research, technical assistance, and incentive…
    • § 568 (a) The secretary shall convene an 11-member Scientific Advisory Panel on Resilient and Sustainable Agriculture to advise the secretary on the implementation…
    • § 569 (a) (1) The department, in consultation with the panel, shall establish and oversee a Healthy Soils Program. The program shall seek to optimize climate…
    • § 569.5 (a) There is hereby created the Climate Smart Agriculture Account in the Department of Food and Agriculture Fund, which shall consist of moneys made available…
    • § 570 (a) For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply: (1) “Programs” means the Healthy Soils Program established pursuant to Section 569, the…
11. ARTICLE 9. University of California Center for Pest Research §§ 576–585 · 10 sections

    • § 576 This article shall be known and may be cited as the University of California Pest Research Act of 1990.
    • § 577 The Legislature finds and declares all of the following: (a) There is a need to develop and apply ecologically based pest management alternatives that are…
    • § 578 Unless the context otherwise requires, the definitions in this section govern the construction of this article. (a) “Center” means the University of California…
    • § 579 It is the intent of the Legislature that the responsibilities of the center include, but are not limited to, all of the following: (a) Establishing…
    • § 580 (a) It is the intent of the Legislature that the center, through its director, develop a list of recommended pest management research priorities for the…
    • § 581 To the extent that it is economically and scientifically feasible, it is the intent of the Legislature that the center shall award pest research funds obtained…
    • § 582 It is the intent of the Legislature that the University of California appoint a director of the center who is knowledgeable about pest management practices and…
    • § 583 (a) The University of California shall prepare an annual report describing the activities of the center, major objectives and significant accomplishments of…
    • § 584 If the center is established by the Regents of the University of California, it is the intent of the Legislature that the administrative costs of establishing…
    • § 585 This article shall apply to the University of California only to the extent that the Regents of the University of California, by resolution, make any of these…
12. ARTICLE 9.5. Coexistence Working Groups §§ 587–588 · 2 sections

    • § 587 The Legislature finds and declares the following: (a) The Legislature supports the agricultural community’s efforts to promote choices of farming methods,…
    • § 588 (a) When conflicts arise between sectors of agriculture, the secretary may designate agricultural coexistence working groups to work towards conflict…
13. ARTICLE 10. Farm to Community Food Hub Program §§ 590–593 · 4 sections

    • § 590 For the purposes of this article, the following definitions apply: (a) “Beginning,” in reference to a farmer or rancher, means a person who has materially and…
    • § 591 (a) The Farm to Community Food Hub Program is hereby established for the purpose of piloting investments in the capital aggregation and distribution…
    • § 592 (a) The program shall incentivize the creation and permanency of public-serving aggregation and distribution enterprises, known as farm to community food hubs,…
    • § 593 This article shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2034, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute that is enacted before January…