Agriculture & Food

Expands eligibility for cannabis tax funds to local governments that ban cultivation if they allow retail sales. Allocates new funding to track unauthorized cannabis activity and enhance enforcement efforts. Requires jurisdictions under 10,000 residents to allow cannabis delivery to receive grant funding. Prioritizes grant funding for local governments that focus on combating illicit cannabis operations.

Expands wage protection liens for farm workers to cover all agricultural employers, not just limited partnerships. Allows workers to claim liens up to two weeks of wages on harvested crops or their sale proceeds. Caps total liens at 25 percent of the crop's fair market value or sale proceeds. Permits employers to avoid liens by providing a wage payment bond to the Labor Commissioner.

Limits California residents to keeping no more than 25 confined roosters starting January 2027. Imposes civil penalties up to $2,500 for each day a rooster is kept in violation of the limit. Exempts food producers, schools, animal shelters, and approved agricultural education programs from the limit. Allows cities and counties to enforce stricter local regulations on rooster keeping.

Expands childcare eligibility for migrant worker families by lowering the qualifying income threshold from 50% to 40%. Requires families to verify income through self-certification and tax returns when necessary. Prioritizes enrollment for families that frequently relocate for agricultural work. Extends eligibility to families who qualified within the past five years and remain in agricultural work.

Requires online cannabis marketplaces to verify seller licenses and display warnings about unlicensed sellers. Establishes reporting systems for consumers to flag unlicensed cannabis and hemp sellers within 36 hours. Imposes strict liability on marketplaces that facilitate sales of unlicensed cannabis or intoxicating hemp products. Triples damages when children are harmed by unlicensed products sold through online marketplaces.

Establishes a new sustainable agriculture program focused on climate resilience and ecosystem health. Expands the scientific advisory panel from 9 to 11 members to guide sustainable farming practices. Provides technical assistance grants to help farmers implement climate-smart agricultural methods. Requires 25% of funds support socially disadvantaged farmers through training and equipment sharing.

Establishes a new state program providing financial assistance to help disadvantaged farmers acquire agricultural land. Requires land recipients to implement sustainable farming practices and conservation measures. Creates a dedicated state fund to provide grants and zero-interest loans for farmland purchases. Mandates that 33% of program funding goes to tribal governments for ancestral land reclamation.

Restricts CalFresh data sharing to state agencies only, eliminating local agency participation. Limits shared information to data necessary for outreach and enrollment in public benefits. Requires an executive-level employee to oversee and report on data-sharing implementation. Excludes employment and financial agencies from CalFresh data-sharing partnerships.

Authorizes farmers to compost livestock carcasses from natural deaths on their agricultural properties. Limits composting operations to 100 cubic yards of material and requires notification to local authorities. Mandates compliance with state-approved best management practices for livestock composting. Requires the finished compost to be applied only on agricultural land owned or leased by the livestock owner.

Extends California's pesticide worker safety program through January 1, 2029. Maintains requirements for medical supervision of workers who regularly handle pesticides. Requires laboratories to report monthly pesticide exposure test results to state regulators. Mandates medical supervisors to share test results with workers within 14 days.

Extends the state's vertebrate pest control research program for nine additional years through 2035. Strengthens oversight of antimicrobial drugs in livestock by requiring specific veterinary prescriptions. Authorizes officials to inspect and seize evidence from mobile farmers' markets to ensure compliance.

Mandates comprehensive testing and quality reviews of all cannabis products before retail sale. Requires retailers to provide lab test results to customers upon request and allow state testing of products. Establishes performance testing requirements for labs to ensure consistent results across facilities. Requires businesses to separate embargoed cannabis products within one day and face fines up to $10,000 for violations.

Delays cannabis excise tax rate adjustments from 2025 to 2030 to provide tax relief for the cannabis industry. Maintains the current 15% cannabis excise tax rate on retail sales until 2030. Requires annual reports on tax revenue impacts starting December 2026. Exempts donated medicinal cannabis and trade samples from the excise tax.

Establishes the California Farm to School Program to connect local farms with school meal programs. Requires schools to increase procurement of California-grown foods for student meals. Creates a grant program to support farm-to-school initiatives and hands-on food education. Establishes a dedicated Farm to School Account to fund program activities through various sources.

Authorizes construction of a Holocaust memorial at Exposition Park to promote education and remembrance. Enables a nonprofit organization to plan and build the memorial through a noncompetitive state grant. Requires the memorial to be prominently placed with adequate space for visitors to engage with the structure. Mandates creation of long-term maintenance and security plans before construction can begin.

Establishes a comprehensive regulatory framework for cannabis and hemp products effective January 1, 2028. Prohibits tobacco retailers from selling cannabis products and sets penalties up to $10,000 for violations. Bans the sale of hemp flower, hemp pre-rolls, and synthetic cannabinoids for consumption in California. Sets a fixed 15% cannabis excise tax rate from 2028-2033 and expands tax requirements to hemp-derived products.

Increases state funding for California fairs from 0.75% to 2% of gross receipts from fair-related sales. Requires fairs to provide specific meal breaks and overtime pay to qualify for state funding. Mandates time-and-a-half pay for work over 8 hours per day and double pay for over 12 hours. Exempts carnival ride operators and workers under qualifying union contracts from these requirements.

Expands foreign labor contractor regulations to protect agricultural workers from recruitment fraud and exploitation. Requires all foreign labor recruiters, including those in agriculture, to register with the state Labor Commissioner. Prohibits charging recruitment fees to any foreign workers entering California. Mandates written contracts disclosing all work terms during the recruitment process.

Exempts agricultural crop preparation services from organic waste regulations if they avoid landfill disposal. Requires farms to prove zero organic waste disposal to landfills since January 2016. Supports California's goal to reduce organic waste disposal by 75% by 2025.

Establishes a new state program to enhance managed honeybee health through grants and incentives. Provides funding for beekeepers to implement health interventions that prevent disease and improve colony survival. Prioritizes grants for disadvantaged communities and socially disadvantaged beekeepers. Requires legislative budget approval before the program can begin operations.

Bans harmful chemicals in food packaging including bisphenols and ortho-phthalates starting January 2027. Requires the Department of Toxic Substances Control to set safety thresholds for unintentionally added chemicals. Imposes penalties up to $5,000 for first violations and $10,000 for subsequent violations. Applies to all food containers, wrappers, and disposable food service items.

Authorizes licensed microbusinesses to ship medical cannabis directly to patients who live over 60 miles from retailers. Permits retailers and microbusinesses to provide free medical cannabis to qualified patients with physician recommendations. Prohibits local jurisdictions from blocking medical cannabis delivery or shipment services within their boundaries. Requires strict verification of physician recommendations and tracking of all cannabis shipments through state systems.

Establishes new compensation rules for fair managers, renaming them as secretary-managers of agricultural associations. Requires the Secretary of Food and Agriculture to set standardized salary ranges based on industry surveys by 2027. Allows annual merit increases up to 10% and cost-of-living adjustments matching state employee raises. Permits a 40% salary bonus for secretary-managers who oversee multiple agricultural districts.

Increases the maximum allowed onsite compost from 100 to 500 cubic yards for permit-exempt operations. Allows composting operations to sell up to 5,000 cubic yards of compost annually, up from 1,000 cubic yards. Exempts large-scale agricultural biomass events like orchard removals from composting permit requirements. Requires agricultural composting operations to maintain material origin records for five years.

Establishes a grant program to expand access to healthy foods in California's food desert communities. Provides funding for grocery stores to open new locations or maintain existing stores in underserved areas. Creates a dedicated Food Desert Elimination Fund to finance grocery store development and operations. Requires the Department of Food and Agriculture to report grant outcomes by January 2028.