AB 2465: Equity: socially disadvantaged groups and organizations: grants.

(1)Existing law, the Farmer Equity Act of 2017, requires the Department of Food and Agriculture to ensure the inclusion of socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers, defined as a member of a socially disadvantaged group, as defined, in the development, adoption, implementation, and enforcement of food and agriculture laws, regulations, and policies and programs, as specified.

This bill would expand the definition of socially disadvantaged group to include descendants of enslaved persons in the United States.

(2)Existing law establishes the Wildlife Conservation Board, the Department of Conservation, the Director of Forestry and Fire Protection, the Department of Parks and Recreation, the State Coastal Conservancy, the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Conservancy, the Sierra Nevada Conservancy, the California Environmental Protection Agency, and the Department of Water Resources. Existing law authorizes these persons and entities to award grants, as provided.

This bill would require those persons and entities, until January 1, 2031, when awarding certain grants, to prioritize the awarding of grant funding to socially disadvantaged organizations, as defined, as provided. organizations by awarding additional points equal to 15% of the total points available for scoring, as specified. The bill would define socially disadvantaged organization for that purpose to mean a nonprofit organization that has (1), as a majority of its board of directors, members who are descendants of enslaved persons in the United States, and (2) articles of incorporation stating certain information. The bill would also require grant applications submitted by a socially disadvantaged organization to include an affidavit executed by each member of its board of directors that the organization meets specified requirements.

(3)This bill would make its provisions severable.