20250AB__031299INT INTRODUCED 2025-01-23 AB INT Introduced by Assembly Member Alanis LEAD_AUTHOR ASSEMBLY Alanis

An act to amend

Section of the Food and Agricultural Code, relating to agricultural theft. agricultural theft Agricultural theft prevention: retention and sale of agricultural commodity: holding and deposit of proceeds. Existing law authorizes, upon reasonable belief that a person is in unlawful possession of an agricultural commodity, as specified, the Secretary of Food and Agriculture, a county agricultural commissioner, or any peace officer to hold or seize the commodity and requires the commodity to be turned over to the custody of the commissioner.

Existing law authorizes the commissioner if, for any reason, the commodity is not released to the rightful owner after being in the custody of the commissioner, as specified, to sell the commodity and hold all of the proceeds derived from the sale of the commodity for a period of not less than months, during which time the lawful owner of the commodity may submit satisfactory proof of ownership and obtain possession of the proceeds.

Existing law requires if, after retention of the proceeds for a period of at least months, no demand is made or if proof of ownership is not supplied, the commissioner to deposit the proceeds of the sale of the commodity into the general fund of the county. This bill would require the commissioner to hold the proceeds of the sale of a commodity for at least months, rather than months, before depositing them into the general fund of the county. MAJORITY NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

Section of the Food and Agricultural Code is amended to read: 884. (

a) If, for any reason, the commodity is not released to the rightful owner after being in the custody of the commissioner for hours or, in the case of a highly perishable commodity, a shorter period of time that the commissioner deems necessary, the commissioner may either sell the commodity by public auction or by private sale at fair market value to a commercial packer of the commodity, or, after hours from the time of seizure, may donate the commodity to a nonprofit charitable organization. If donated, the commodity shall not be sold by the receiving party.

If sold, all of the proceeds derived from the sale of the commodity shall be held by the commissioner for a period of not less than three months, during which time the lawful owner of the commodity may submit satisfactory proof of ownership and obtain possession of the proceeds. The commissioner may require the payment by the owner of an amount sufficient to cover the costs incurred for a storage and sale of the commodity, but not to exceed the sale price of the commodity.

If, after retention of the proceeds for a period of at least three months, no demand is made or if proof of ownership is not supplied, the commissioner shall deposit the proceeds of the sale of the commodity into the general fund of the county. (

b) If the commodity is unfit for human consumption, the commissioner may destroy it.