During the early hours of September 1, the 2019-2020 California legislative session came to a close. With the advent of the coronavirus pandemic, the legislature focused primarily on bills that addressed the impacts of the pandemic on California citizens and businesses, foregoing issues that would normally be addressed.
Below is a short list of a few bills that were passed and sent on to the Governor’s office that may have implications for the California almond industry:
- Senate Bill (SB) 86 requires the Department of Pesticide Regulation to submit quarterly reports to legislative committees. These reports will provide information on the amount of chlorpyrifos use in granular form and the department’s plans for monitoring the use of chlorpyrifos in granular form.
- SB 364 changes the classification of nonresidential active solar energy systems from “real property” to “personal property,” and creates a new property tax exemption for systems constructed prior to January 1, 2025, if voters approve Proposition 15. Proposition 15 is an initiative constitutional amendment to require fair market value-based property tax assessments for certain commercial and industrial real property. This bill was approved by the Governor on September 9.
- AB 2043 directs the Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) to disseminate information on best practices regarding COVID-19 infection prevention to agricultural employees by conducting a targeted outreach campaign in conjunction with community and employee organizations. Cal/OSHA will also compile and report on its internet website information regarding investigations in agriculture on COVID-19 safety practices or conditions, as well as injuries and illnesses related to COVID-19.
Governor Newsom has until September 30 to sign or veto these bills, the status of which the Almond Board of California will continue to follow.
The 2021-2022 legislature will convene on December 7 for an organizational session where they traditionally elect leadership, adopt house rules and introduce initial bills for the next legislative session. The 2021-2022 legislative session will begin in January 2021.
