Assembly Standing Committee on Agriculture

Since we don't have a quorum yet, we will just open the hearing as a subcommittee just to go through some of the fun facts that I like to share, and then also just the little notes that we share before the beginning of every hearing.

And so if we don't have obviously, we'll wait for Members to show up to establish a quorum. I know it's a busy day, but it's gonna be it should be an easy committee today because we only have five bills and four of those are on proposed consent.

But just to cover a few logistics so I get this out of the way, I'll read, our logistics for every hearing. As we proceed with, witnesses and public comment, I want to make sure everyone understands that the assembly has rules to ensure we maintain order and run an efficient and fair hearing.

We apply these rules consistently to all people who participate in our proceedings regardless of the viewpoint they express. In order to facilitate the goal of hearing as much from the public within the limits of our time, we will not permit conduct that disrupts, disturbs, or otherwise impedes the

orderly conduct of legislative proceedings. For those who will be providing comments today, we do ask that you please state your name and the organization you represent and if you support it or oppose the bill being considered.

Also for the Members of the public, they may submit written comments to our committee through email. Emails may be sent to the address found on the committee website, which is [email protected].

As I mentioned, we have five bills today on the file for our proposed to be on the consent, and we will hear the bills as soon as the Member Connolly shows up to present the bill. But just a fun fact oh, I did also want to share next Tuesday is AG Day, so it's always a fun time in the capital.

We wanna encourage folks to participate and go check check out the different booth booths that will be outside on the West Steps. And again, just a fun day to participate. My fun fact for today, so, you know, please allow me. I know. Right? Get ready. Get ready. Which you guys know, I love to do this.

But for April, it is National Pecan Month. I don't know about you guys, but I like pecan ice cream. This month celebrates the only major nut tree native to North America, and The United States produces roughly about 80% of the world's, pecan crop.

Although California produces a smaller share of that, we do produce seven to 8,000,000 pounds of pecans every year.

And those mostly come from my neck of the woods since pecans in California are only grown in the Central Valley and West Fresno County and then also down south in Kern County.

Another fun fact, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson were huge fans of pecans. And then also, just because we love our astronauts, astronauts took pecans to the moon twice during Apollo thirteen 14 missions. So, yeah. So that's the fun fact for today. Hope you all enjoy and learn something new.

So the hearing has been open as you guys all know. So we do have a quorum, so I'll have the secretary, please call the roll.

[Roll Call]

Perfect. So we do have a quorum. Before we, go to your bill presentation, I wanna do the consent calendar just to dispense of it. So, we have a motion and a second.

So Madam Secretary, if you can please call the roll on the consent calendar, which includes file item AB 2423, file item three AB 2743, file item four AB 2778, and file item five, AB 2779.

On the consent calendar. [Roll Call]

The consent calendar has five votes. We will, leave it open until the other members arrive. Okay. So, now we will move on to file item, two with Assembly Bill 1711 by Assemblymember, Connolly. Please proceed with your bill when you are ready.

Thank you, Chair and Members. Good afternoon. Proud to present AB 1711, which will ensure that the revenue generated by fairs and approved in the state budget is allocated in a timely manner. Fairs are the backbone of our communities.

They provide agricultural education, host cultural events, support local economies, and serve as critical sites for emergency response and disaster preparedness.

Unfortunately, fairs are facing unprecedented backlogs and deferred maintenance that put these important community hubs in jeopardy. AB 1711 will ensure that fairs have the funding they need to maintain fairgrounds and allow them to con to continue to invest in emergency infrastructure.

AB 1711 builds on a bill I previously authored, AB 258, by providing a clear timeline for the distribution of funds.

This bill gives local fairs a certainty they need, certainty they need to plan projects, repair infrastructure, and keep fairs safe and ready to serve their communities year round. With that, I will pass it to my witness, Sarah Cummings, the CEO of the Western Fairs Association.

Thank you. Good afternoon, Chair and Members of the committee. My name is Sarah Cummings, and I'm President and CEO of Western Fairs Association and the California Fairs Alliance, representing fares and fairgrounds throughout the state of California.

I'm here today in strong support of Assembly Member Connolly's, AB 1711. AB 1711 is about timeliness, efficiency, and ensuring that critical infrastructure excuse me, critical funding reaches fairgrounds when it is needed.

The bill moves improves the process by which funds from the fairs and exposition funds are allocated, requiring a more structured, annual expenditure plan that allows resources to be distributed more predictably without unnecessary delay.

It also expands allowable uses for those funds to include essential needs. Fairs operate on very fixed schedules. Infrastructure improvements, safety upgrades, and operational planning must happen, in the months in advance of opening day of the fair.

Few months, projects are postponed, costs increase, and in some cases, the critical repairs simply cannot be completed in time.

This creates real challenges, not just for our fair operations, but for public safety and for the community we serve. California Fairgrounds serve as emergency response centers, evacuation sites, and community hubs.

When we cannot access funding in a timely way, it impacts our ability to be fully prepared, not just for for fair season, but for those emergencies as well. AB 1711 addresses us directly.

By creating a clearer, more reliable path for funding allocation, this bill helps ensure the dollars move faster, more efficiently, and with greater predictability to the fares that depend on those dollars.

It allows fare operators to plan responsibly, execute those projects on time, and steward the public resources more effectively. This bill helps us move from reactive to proactive.

On behalf of our members, I respectfully ask for an Aye vote on AB 1711 so we can ensure these critical resources are delivered not just appropriately, but on time and when they are needed the most.

So we do have a motion in a second. I do wanna give the opportunity for the audience. If there's anyone here that would like to express your support, please come forward. Good afternoon, Affairs Alliance in support. Thank you.

Good afternoon, Eric Will, on behalf of Rural County Representatives in strong support. Thank you.

Now I'll give time. I don't know if there was any opposition, but I can't imagine there are. Great. Also, wanna open it up to members of the committee if you guys have any questions or comments. Vice chair.

I just wanted to thank the author. I'm a huge supporter of the fair. Always have been. I have the most fairs of any any assembly member in the district, so I would love to be considered as a co author.

Absolutely. Thank you for bringing this forward.

If I'm not already a co author, I'd like to be a co author. Well, thank you very much for bringing the bill forward. These are valuable assets for our communities.

Assemblymember Gonzales.

Our fair is the National Day Festival, and, the Midwinter Fair in Imperial, the Colorado River Fair. Like, this is the center of town. Right? This is where everyone comes out. This is where it happens.

And, unfortunately, we we need all the help we can get. So I wanna thank the author for that, for advocating for for fairs across California. Love to be on the list, along with my my, colleagues to to be a co author. So thank you for that. Look forward to to continued support.

Thank you. Alright.

Great. Before you close, I did just wanna make a couple comments. I too, you know, strong support of this bill. Thank you for bringing this bill forward. I too have actually three, county fairs in my district, one in each county.

And, not just the annual fairs that they have, but they host some very important cultural events. For example, Hmong New Year, both in Merced and Fresno County, which are really center to the community.

And then just I'm reminded of 2023 when we had the big flooding that happened in Merced County. The county fair really, provided a lifeline and home to many of the families that were impacted by the flooding. And so.

Again, making sure that we, get this money out the door so that these places, these fairs cannot just provide all the fun activities, but also provide the emergency assistance when it's needed. So thank you so much for bringing this bill forward.

I would also like to be added as a co author. But, if you would like to close, Assemblymember Connolly.

I think your remarks, summarized it really well, and thank you to the other committee Members as well. With that, respectfully ask for an Aye vote.

Perfect. So the bill does have a motion and a second. Madam secretary, if you can please call the roll.

On file item two, AB 1711 Connolly, motion is due passed to Appropriations Committee. [Roll Call]

Great. The bill has seven votes. We'll leave the, roll call open for a minute, see if, Assemblywoman Ransom comes. But we will dispense of the consent calendar for the absent members. So, madam secretary, if you could call the roll on those.

On the consent calendar. [Roll Call]

I was imagining that date coming. Well, yeah. So now that, Assemblywoman Ransom, madam secretary, if you could call the roll on the votes.

On the consent calendar. [Roll Call] And on file item two, AB 1711. [Roll Call]

Consent calendar and the bill number AB 1711 are both out of committee with a unanimous vote. Thank you so much. And, the meeting is adjourned.