Sacramento – Yesterday, the Assembly Committee on Agriculture passed AB 2745, which authorizes a County Agricultural Commissioner to levy a civil penalty against a person who maintains a premise, plant, or conveyance that is infected or infested with any pest determined to be a public nuisance and who fails to take action to rectify it. Assemblyman Mathis issued the following statement after the vote:
“This week, the Agriculture Committee passed my bill to combat the multi-billion dollar problem of invasive pests that ravage our agricultural community. Pests disrupt ecosystems and pose a grave threat to agricultural crops. As evidenced by today’s vote, it is time to give County Agricultural Commissioners the enforcement tools they need to spur action and defend farms, both small and large, from this threat. Gone are the days in which negligent property owners face no consequences for their inactions as our agricultural community suffers. A pest infestation can ruin an entire year’s yield, jeopardizing the existence of farms both in my district and across the State of California. With this enforcement tool, County Agricultural Commissioners can ensure that the known existence of pests is dealt with promptly, before they spread to surrounding agricultural land and throughout the State. I would like to thank the Chair, members of the Committee, and Committee staff for recognizing the gravity of the problem as well as approving this solution. As my bill continues to move through the legislative process, I will ensure that this bill will provide comfort to those who suffer from the devastating impact of pests.”
#####
