2010 California Code
Food and Agricultural Code
Article 2.5. Agricultural Pest Control Research

12786.  The Legislature hereby finds and declares all of the
following:
   (a) The continued viability of the agricultural economy is of
paramount importance to the people of California.
   (b) The development of alternatives to existing pesticides
available for the control of pests is prudent, and the development of
alternatives to pesticides is important for the protection of the
public health and safety.
   (c) The ability of the state to control, detect, exclude, and
eradicate pest infestations is necessary to continue the preeminent
position of this state as the leading farm state and is essential for
the continuing supply of foodstuffs.



12790.  Proposals for research consistent with the purposes of this
article may be submitted to the committee by any person,
organization, institution, or governmental agency.



12794.  Members of the research and screening committees shall serve
without compensation, but shall be reimbursed for all necessary
expenses incurred in the performance of their duties and approved by
the secretary.


12794.5.  The department shall prepare an annual report of the
research projects proposed, approved projects awarded, the status of
ongoing research projects, the findings achieved from completed
research projects, and the progress toward developing and
implementing pest management alternatives in the state. The report
shall be submitted annually to the Legislature, on or before February
1.


12797.  To the extent that funding is available, the secretary shall
maintain a program to develop new methods and modify existing
methods for testing produce for the presence of pesticide residues.
The secretary may consult with representatives of the federal Food
and Drug Administration, the State Department of Health Services, the
Department of Pesticide Regulation, public and private institutions
of higher education, other laboratories, or any other entity he or
she deems appropriate. The secretary shall focus his or her review on
analytical methods for pesticide residues that are not detectable on
existing multiple-residue screens, and on pesticide residue
detection methods that the secretary deems are difficult to
accurately identify and quantify due to time, equipment, or expense.



12798.  (a) The department shall establish a competitive grants
program to make funds available to qualified public and private
entities to conduct pest management research projects. All of the
research related to pest management funded by the department shall be
administered pursuant to this program.
   (b) Research conducted pursuant to this section shall have the
further development of alternative pest management practices and
methods and the further development of pest exclusion detection and
eradication methods as priorities. Prior to making research awards,
the department shall assess existing research activities and
developments in integrated pest management, alternatives to
pesticides, and other alternative pest management practices and
methods, including, but not limited to, cultural, biological, and
biotechnological research.
   (c) (1) The secretary shall establish a Pest Management Research
Committee which shall award all funds under the competitive grants
program.
   (2) The primary objective of the committee is the further
development of pest prevention activities and alternative pest
management practices, techniques, and methods that exclude serious
pests, as determined by the committee, which detect and quickly
eliminate small infestations of foreign pests, and which reduce
pesticide use, minimize or eliminate pesticide residues, or result in
the use of safer pesticides. In achieving that objective, the
committee shall encourage the development and use of biological
controls, integrated pest management, biotechnology, cultural, pest
prevention, and other alternative pest management methods that are
environmentally sound and economically viable.
   (3) The committee shall consist of the following 12 persons, who
shall serve at the pleasure of the secretary:
   (A) The Secretary of Food and Agriculture or his or her designee,
who shall serve as chairperson.
   (B) The President of the University of California or his or her
designee.
   (C) The Chancellor of the California State University or his or
her designee.
   (D) Two members who represent the agricultural community, one of
whom is an experienced organic farmer and one of whom is
knowledgeable and experienced in alternative pest management
techniques.
   (E) Two members who represent pest management researchers, one of
whom represents California's public and private colleges and
universities and one of whom represents California's independent
research community, both of whom are knowledgeable in pest
prevention, control, eradication, and pest management.
   (F) One member who represents public interest organizations,
qualified in environmental or public health, or both, and
knowledgeable in alternative pest management techniques.
   (G) One member who represents the Office of Environmental Health
Hazard Assessment, with experience in public health or toxicology.
   (H) One member who represents county agricultural commissioners,
knowledgeable and experienced in alternative pest management
techniques and pest prevention, control, and eradication.
   (I) One member who represents the Department of Pesticide
Regulation, with experience in pest management systems.
   (J) One member who represents the State Department of Health
Services, with experience in public health.
   (4) The committee shall award funds based upon a competitive
application process that meets the eligibility of fulfilling, and has
the ability to fulfill, the objectives of this section.
   (5) The approval of research proposals shall be made by a majority
vote of the membership of the committee.
   (d) For any proposals funded pursuant to this section, the
department shall require reasonable accountability, including
performance standards, periodic reports, deadlines, and payments
conditioned on compliance with performance standards and deadlines.
   (e) Funding for second and subsequent years of a multiyear award
shall be contingent upon satisfactory completion by the grantee of
the prior year grant awards.
   (f) In order to facilitate the utilization of pest management
practices and methods developed pursuant to this section, the
secretary shall cooperate with qualified public and private entities
to provide outreach consultation, information dissemination, and
educational services to the agricultural community and other
interested parties.



12798.6.  The secretary shall establish a Pest Science and
Technology Screening Committee, which shall function as a scientific
peer review committee on exotic pest research proposals submitted
pursuant to Section 12798. The screening committee shall conduct and
provide a thorough evaluation of the scientific merit, environmental
soundness, and economic viability of each proposal. The committee
shall meet at the request of the secretary and after reviewing all
current proposals shall make recommendations to the Pest Management
Research Committee established pursuant to Section 12798 as to which
proposals should be funded. The committee shall consist of the
following members:
   (a) Five members who represent California's public and private
colleges and universities or private research community, each of whom
possesses a degree in entomology, plant pathology, or environmental
studies, and who are knowledgeable, technically qualified, and
experienced in exotic pest biology and pest exclusion, detection, and
eradication research.
   (b) One member who represents the department, with experience in
pest prevention.
   (c) One member who represents the Office of Environmental Health
Hazard Assessment, with experience in public health or toxicology.
   (d) One member who represents the State Department of Health
Services, with experience in public health.