Institutional purchasers: sale of California produce.

Under existing law, price, fitness, and quality being equal, any body, officer, or other person charged with the purchase, or permitted or authorized to purchase supplies for the use of the state, or of any of its institutions or offices, or for the use of any county or city, is required to always prefer supplies, defined to include produce, that are grown, manufactured, or produced in the state, and is required to next prefer supplies partially manufactured, grown, or produced in the state. This bill would, until January 1, 2017, remove supplies grown or partially grown in the state from this requirement, and produce from the definition of supplies. The bill, the Choose California Act, would until January 1, 2017, require all California state-owned or state-run institutions, except public universities, public schools, and school districts, to purchase agricultural products grown in California to the extent possible from a California company before those that are grown outside of the state, as specified. The bill would, until January 1, 2017, encourage all public universities, public schools, and school districts in California to purchase agricultural products grown in California to the greatest extent possible.