Agriculture & Food

Expands streamlined approval of farmworker housing projects to Fresno, Madera, and Merced counties. Increases maximum unit size from 36 to 150 units for eligible farmworker housing developments. Requires developments to be within 15 miles of farmland and maintained by affordable housing organizations. Mandates 55-year affordability requirements for all approved farmworker housing projects.

Extends the state's vertebrate pest control research program through January 1, 2035. Strengthens oversight of antimicrobial drug use in livestock by requiring veterinary prescriptions. Authorizes officials to inspect and seize evidence from mobile farmers' markets for enforcement. Maintains continuous funding for vertebrate pest control research activities.

Extends the agricultural vehicle exemption from terminal inspection requirements until January 1, 2031. Applies to farm vehicles under 26,000 pounds used exclusively for agricultural operations. Removes outdated requirement for Highway Patrol to report on exemption impacts. Maintains existing inspection rules for non-agricultural commercial vehicles.

Expands farm worker lien rights for unpaid wages to cover all agricultural business structures. Allows workers to place liens on harvested crops for up to two weeks of unpaid wages. Limits total liens to 25 percent of the crop's fair market value. Permits employers to avoid liens by providing a wage payment bond to the Labor Commissioner.

Expands CalFresh food benefits to include hot prepared meals for immediate consumption. Requires the Department of Social Services to maximize food choices for recipients with special needs. Eliminates the requirement to seek federal waivers before expanding food options.

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.

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 a mandatory reporting system for consumers to flag unlicensed cannabis and hemp sellers. Imposes strict liability on marketplaces that advertise unlicensed cannabis or intoxicating hemp products. Allows triple damages when children are harmed by products from unlicensed sellers on online marketplaces.

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.

Reduces the cannabis retail excise tax from 19% to 15% between October 2025 and June 2030. Requires annual reports starting June 2027 to assess the revenue impact of the tax reduction. Authorizes biennial tax rate adjustments after 2030 to recover lost cultivation tax revenue. Maintains exemptions for donated medical cannabis and trade samples from excise tax requirements.

Establishes a new grant program to improve the health of managed honeybees used for crop pollination in California. Authorizes funding for research projects and health interventions to protect honeybee populations. Prioritizes projects that benefit disadvantaged communities and socially disadvantaged beekeepers. Creates a special fund to collect federal, private, and non-state money for honeybee health initiatives.

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.

Authorizes farmers to compost livestock carcasses from routine deaths under strict environmental safeguards. Requires composting operations to follow best management practices for groundwater and public health protection. Limits total composting material to 100 cubic yards and restricts use to agricultural land owned by the farmer. Mandates operators to notify local agencies within 30 days of starting composting operations.

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.

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.

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.

Establishes a new state program to help disadvantaged and beginning farmers acquire agricultural land through grants and loans. Requires land recipients to either transfer property to qualified farmers or provide long-term leases within five years. Creates a dedicated Farmland Access Fund to finance land acquisition and technical assistance for eligible farmers. Mandates that 33 percent of program funding goes to tribal governments and entities for agricultural land access.

Prohibits industrial hemp in food and beverages unless it contains 99% pure CBD or CBN isolate with no THC by 2026. Requires all cannabis and hemp products to undergo strict laboratory testing and quality assurance reviews. Grants authorities expanded powers to inspect, seize and destroy non-compliant cannabis and hemp products. Establishes new penalties up to $10,000 for violations and creates a comprehensive track-and-trace system.

Excludes agricultural lands with Williamson Act contracts from local infrastructure financing districts' tax allocations. Protects farmland security zone properties from having their taxes diverted to community revitalization projects. Maintains tax exclusions until agricultural land is rezoned for other uses or contracts are canceled. Requires local agencies to identify and exclude eligible agricultural parcels from their financing plans.

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.

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.

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.

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 streamlined 20-day approval process for restaurant tenant improvement permits. Allows licensed architects and engineers to certify building plans for restaurant renovations. Requires local agencies to audit 20% of certified plans weekly to ensure safety compliance. Makes certifying professionals liable for damages from negligent plan reviews.