12786-12798.6
FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL CODE
SECTION 12786-12798.6
12786. The Legislature hereby finds and declares all of the following: (a) The continued viability of the agricultural economy is of paramount importance to the people of California. (b) The development of alternatives to existing pesticides available for the control of pests is prudent, and the development of alternatives to pesticides is important for the protection of the public health and safety. (c) The ability of the state to control, detect, exclude, and eradicate pest infestations is necessary to continue the preeminent position of this state as the leading farm state and is essential for the continuing supply of foodstuffs. 12790. Proposals for research consistent with the purposes of this article may be submitted to the committee by any person, organization, institution, or governmental agency. 12794. Members of the research and screening committees shall serve without compensation, but shall be reimbursed for all necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties and approved by the secretary. 12794.5. The department shall prepare an annual report of the research projects proposed, approved projects awarded, the status of ongoing research projects, the findings achieved from completed research projects, and the progress toward developing and implementing pest management alternatives in the state. The report shall be submitted annually to the Legislature, on or before February 1. 12797. To the extent that funding is available, the secretary shall maintain a program to develop new methods and modify existing methods for testing produce for the presence of pesticide residues. The secretary may consult with representatives of the federal Food and Drug Administration, the State Department of Health Services, the Department of Pesticide Regulation, public and private institutions of higher education, other laboratories, or any other entity he or she deems appropriate. The secretary shall focus his or her review on analytical methods for pesticide residues that are not detectable on existing multiple-residue screens, and on pesticide residue detection methods that the secretary deems are difficult to accurately identify and quantify due to time, equipment, or expense. 12798. (a) The department shall establish a competitive grants program to make funds available to qualified public and private entities to conduct pest management research projects. All of the research related to pest management funded by the department shall be administered pursuant to this program. (b) Research conducted pursuant to this section shall have the further development of alternative pest management practices and methods and the further development of pest exclusion detection and eradication methods as priorities. Prior to making research awards, the department shall assess existing research activities and developments in integrated pest management, alternatives to pesticides, and other alternative pest management practices and methods, including, but not limited to, cultural, biological, and biotechnological research. (c) (1) The secretary shall establish a Pest Management Research Committee which shall award all funds under the competitive grants program. (2) The primary objective of the committee is the further development of pest prevention activities and alternative pest management practices, techniques, and methods that exclude serious pests, as determined by the committee, which detect and quickly eliminate small infestations of foreign pests, and which reduce pesticide use, minimize or eliminate pesticide residues, or result in the use of safer pesticides. In achieving that objective, the committee shall encourage the development and use of biological controls, integrated pest management, biotechnology, cultural, pest prevention, and other alternative pest management methods that are environmentally sound and economically viable. (3) The committee shall consist of the following 12 persons, who shall serve at the pleasure of the secretary: (A) The Secretary of Food and Agriculture or his or her designee, who shall serve as chairperson. (B) The President of the University of California or his or her designee. (C) The Chancellor of the California State University or his or her designee. (D) Two members who represent the agricultural community, one of whom is an experienced organic farmer and one of whom is knowledgeable and experienced in alternative pest management techniques. (E) Two members who represent pest management researchers, one of whom represents California's public and private colleges and universities and one of whom represents California's independent research community, both of whom are knowledgeable in pest prevention, control, eradication, and pest management. (F) One member who represents public interest organizations, qualified in environmental or public health, or both, and knowledgeable in alternative pest management techniques. (G) One member who represents the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, with experience in public health or toxicology. (H) One member who represents county agricultural commissioners, knowledgeable and experienced in alternative pest management techniques and pest prevention, control, and eradication. (I) One member who represents the Department of Pesticide Regulation, with experience in pest management systems. (J) One member who represents the State Department of Health Services, with experience in public health. (4) The committee shall award funds based upon a competitive application process that meets the eligibility of fulfilling, and has the ability to fulfill, the objectives of this section. (5) The approval of research proposals shall be made by a majority vote of the membership of the committee. (d) For any proposals funded pursuant to this section, the department shall require reasonable accountability, including performance standards, periodic reports, deadlines, and payments conditioned on compliance with performance standards and deadlines. (e) Funding for second and subsequent years of a multiyear award shall be contingent upon satisfactory completion by the grantee of the prior year grant awards. (f) In order to facilitate the utilization of pest management practices and methods developed pursuant to this section, the secretary shall cooperate with qualified public and private entities to provide outreach consultation, information dissemination, and educational services to the agricultural community and other interested parties. 12798.6. The secretary shall establish a Pest Science and Technology Screening Committee, which shall function as a scientific peer review committee on exotic pest research proposals submitted pursuant to Section 12798. The screening committee shall conduct and provide a thorough evaluation of the scientific merit, environmental soundness, and economic viability of each proposal. The committee shall meet at the request of the secretary and after reviewing all current proposals shall make recommendations to the Pest Management Research Committee established pursuant to Section 12798 as to which proposals should be funded. The committee shall consist of the following members: (a) Five members who represent California's public and private colleges and universities or private research community, each of whom possesses a degree in entomology, plant pathology, or environmental studies, and who are knowledgeable, technically qualified, and experienced in exotic pest biology and pest exclusion, detection, and eradication research. (b) One member who represents the department, with experience in pest prevention. (c) One member who represents the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, with experience in public health or toxicology. (d) One member who represents the State Department of Health Services, with experience in public health.