AB 1141: Agricultural lands: agricultural and livestock producers: agricultural pass program: disaster access to farm lands.

Existing law authorizes, upon the approval of a county board of supervisors, a county agricultural commissioner, commissioner or other designated agency, agency to establish within the county a livestock pass program for the purpose of issuing identification documents granting any qualifying livestock producer or a managerial employee of the qualifying livestock producer, access to the qualifying livestock producers ranch property, or to the ranch property owned by another holder of a livestock pass with permission, during or following a flood, storm, fire, earthquake, or other disaster, as provided. Existing law provides that access to specified areas by a livestock passholder to areas closed by specified public safety personnel where a menace to public health or safety exists during a calamity may only be granted by the incident commander, a law enforcement official having jurisdiction, or their designee and that when designee. Existing law requires, when this access is granted by emergency response personnel other than the incident commander, that the emergency response personnel shall notify incident command when they grant the livestock passholder access to the ranch property during a disaster. access. Existing law provides that a livestock pass issued by a county in which a livestock pass or equivalent program was established before January 1, 2022, shall be deemed to be in compliance with this livestock pass law until the expiration date noted on the livestock pass or until December 31, 2025, whichever date occurs first. Existing law requires, on or before January July 1, 2023, the State Fire Marshal, with the involvement of the Statewide Training and Education Advisory Committee, to develop a curriculum for livestock producers eligible for this livestock pass program.

This bill would change the name of the livestock pass program to the agricultural pass program and make conforming changes. The bill would also make the agricultural pass program applicable to qualified agricultural producers, as defined. defined, and their managerial employees. The bill would end the exemption that requires a county-authorized pass under an equivalent county program that was established before January 1, 2022, to be deemed in compliance with these state requirements. The bill would instead require the a curriculum for the agricultural pass program to be developed by July 1, 2024. 2024, and would authorize the State Fire Marshal to utilize or adopt a curriculum already developed for a program equivalent to the agricultural pass program. To the extent this bill would impose additional duties on a county board of supervisors in approving agricultural passes for qualified agricultural producers, the bill would impose a state-mandated program.

The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.