Existing law requires the Department of Food and Agriculture to develop and maintain a list of invasive pests, as defined, that have a reasonable likelihood of entering California for which a detection, exclusion, eradication, control, or management action by the state might be appropriate.

This bill would require the department to post the list on its internet website.

Date of Hearing: April 9, 2025

ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE

Esmeralda Soria, Chair

ABPCA Bill Id:AB 1506

Author:(Committee on Agriculture) – As Introduced Ver:February 26, 2025

SUBJECT: Invasive pests: lists

SUMMARY: The Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) is required to develop and maintain a list of invasive pests, as specified, that would likely cause economic or environmental harm if they entered California. This bill would require CDFA to post the invasive pest on CDFA’s public website.

EXISTING LAW: Requires CDFA to develop and maintain a list of invasive pests, defined to mean animals, plants, insects, and plant and animal diseases or groups of those animals, plants, insects, and plant and animal diseases where introduction into California would or would likely cause economic or environmental harm, that have a reasonable likelihood of entering California for which a detection, exclusion, eradication, control, or management action by the state might be appropriate. Food and Agriculture code 5261

FISCAL EFFECT: Unknown

COMMENTS: One of the primary mandates of CDFA is to "Protect against invasion of exotic pests and diseases." California agricultural losses to exotic pests exceed $3 billion annually. Exotic pests are organisms that have been introduced into an area beyond their natural range; and become pests in the new environment. They are also referred to as alien, non-native, or introduced pests.

Most introductions have been unintentional and accidental. Having evolved in a different ecosystem, these non-native species may have few natural enemies in their new locations, which can often lead to population increases that can overwhelm native species by out-competing them for resources (e.g., food, water, light, space). An invasive species is a species that does not occur naturally in a specific area and whose introduction does or is likely to cause economic (including agricultural) or environmental harm or harm to human health.

Common traits of invasive pests and pathogens include rapid reproduction, fast growth, wide dispersal, altering of growth or form to suit a particular habitat, tolerating a wide range of environmental conditions and the ability to feed on a variety of different foods. All species have vectors that can move them to new areas to colonize, but for invasive species it's usually human activity of some kind (such as foreign trade and travel) that has transported them here unknowingly. Often the best single predictor of invasive ability is whether a species is already known to be an invasive pest somewhere else. This bill will help keep Californians informed on potential invasive pest issues.

REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:

Support

None on file

Opposition

None on file

Analysis Prepared by: Victor Francovich / AGRI. / (916) 319-2084