Citrus Nursery Stock Pest Cleanliness Program.

Existing law authorizes the Secretary of Food and Agriculture to, by regulation, provide for periodic inspections of nurseries and prescribe standards of cleanliness for nursery stock which is produced or sold within the state. This bill would require the Department of Food and Agriculture to develop and establish the Citrus Nursery Stock Pest Cleanliness Program to protect citrus nursery source propagative trees, as defined, from harmful diseases, pests, and other risks and threats. The Secretary of Food and Agriculture would be required to administer the program and to consider input from parties interested in the development of the program. The bill would specify that the program shall include, among other things, a requirement that a person who, by any method of propagation, produces any citrus nursery stock shall comply with all eligibility requirements and testing protocols issued by the secretary. Testing for important diseases and pathogens would be required to be included in the program within 45 days after valid and reliable diagnostic protocols have been developed and proven to be efficient and effective for the testing of those diseases and pathogens. The bill would authorize the department to designate specified types of entities to perform the disease and pathogen diagnostic testing and analysis under the program, as provided. The bill would authorize the secretary to adopt and enforce regulations necessary to carry out the purposes of the program, and would require the secretary to issue orders establishing rates or prices to cover the department's costs for its administration, testing, inspection, and other services under the program, as provided. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.