AB 2685
Food and agriculture: omnibus bill.
Vote required
Majority
Fiscal committee
No
Appropriation
No
Current location
Appropriations
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Sign in to take action- Introduced
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
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- Became Law
Bill overview
This bill makes changes to California’s food and agriculture regulations. Specifically, it requires the Secretary of Food and Agriculture to make reports on processing strawberries publicly available on the Department’s website instead of submitting them to the Legislature. It also authorizes the California Walnut Commission to recommend quality standards and labeling requirements for walnuts, and the Secretary to adopt those recommendations, subject to the California Marketing Act of 1937. Finally, it establishes the Walnut Commission as an advisory body to the Secretary on walnut-related matters.
Key provisions
- Requires the Secretary of Food and Agriculture to publicly post strawberry marketing reports.
- Authorizes the California Walnut Commission to recommend walnut quality standards and product labeling requirements.
- Permits the Secretary to adopt the Commission’s recommendations for walnut standards and labeling.
- Establishes the California Walnut Commission as an advisory body to the Secretary on walnut-related matters.
- Specifies a delay before implementing new walnut quality standards or labeling requirements.
- Requires the Walnut Commission to publicly announce its intent to engage in certain activities before commencing them.
- Updates Section 63126 of the Food and Agricultural Code to reflect the changes.
- Adds Section 77103 to the Food and Agricultural Code regarding the Commission’s authority.
Who is affected
- California Department of Food and Agriculture
Sponsors
Official sponsors from legislative records.
Primary sponsor
Committee on Agriculture
Arguments in favor
Reasons to support this legislation.
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AB2685:v98#DOCUMENT
Bill Start
| Amended IN Senate June 02, 2026 |
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION
Assembly Bill
No. 2685
| Introduced by Committee on Agriculture (Assembly Members Soria (Chair), Hadwick (Vice Chair), Aguiar-Curry, Alanis, Connolly, Jeff Gonzalez, Irwin, and Ransom) |
| February 20, 2026 |
An act to amend Section 63126 of of, to add Section 77103 to, and to add Article 9 (commencing with Section 77196) to Chapter 16.5 of Part 2 of Division 22 of, the Food and Agricultural Code, relating to food and agriculture.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 2685, as amended, Committee on Agriculture. Marketing laws: processing strawberries. Food and agriculture: omnibus bill.
Existing
(1) Existing law requires the Secretary of Food and Agriculture to prepare and file with the Legislature a written report on the marketing of processing strawberries, as specified.
This bill would require the secretary to make the report publicly available on the Department of Food and Agriculture’s internet website, rather than file the report with the Legislature.
(2) Existing law provides that the production and handling of walnuts constitute an important industry and establishes the California Walnut Commission in state government to, among other things, promote the sale of walnuts by brand and generic advertising and other promotional means and educate and instruct the wholesale and retail trade in domestic and foreign markets with respect to proper methods of handling walnuts. Existing law, the California Marketing Act of 1937, governs the marketing of commodities in this state.This bill would authorize the commission to recommend to the secretary the adoption of walnut quality standards and product labeling requirements. The bill would authorize the secretary to adopt these quality standards and product labeling requirements recommended by the commission, and would require the secretary, if the secretary adopts these quality standards and product labeling requirements, to act in accordance with the procedures specified in the California Marketing Act of 1937, unless otherwise provided. The bill would prohibit the secretary from implementing any adopted quality standards or labeling requirements until the beginning of the marketing season next succeeding the date of adoption. The bill would authorize the commission to engage in any activity related to walnuts that is authorized pursuant to the California Marketing Act of 1937 and would require the commission, if it engages in such an activity, to act in accordance with the procedures specified in that act, unless otherwise provided. The bill would prohibit the commission from engaging in such an activity until the beginning of the marketing season next succeeding the date on which the commission publicly announces its intent to engage in the activity. The bill would require the commission to serve as the advisory body to the secretary on these matters.
Digest Key
Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NO
Bill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 63126 of the Food and Agricultural Code is amended to read:
63126.
On or before the last day of each year in which a marketing order exclusively affecting processing strawberries is in effect, the secretary shall prepare and make publicly available on the department’s internet website a written report of the operations of this chapter and shall make recommendations regarding its various provisions. Each report and recommendation shall be based on determinations made by the secretary as a result of the annual review specified in Section 63125.
SEC. 2.
Section 77103 is added to the Food and Agricultural Code, immediately following Section 77102, to read:
77103. The commission may engage in activities and administer any program authorized pursuant to Article 9 (commencing with Section 77196) of this chapter.
SEC. 3.
Article 9 (commencing with Section 77196) is added to Chapter 16.5 of Part 2 of Division 22 of the Food and Agricultural Code, to read:
Article 9. Quality Standards77196. (a) (1) The commission may recommend to the secretary the adoption of walnut quality standards and product labeling requirements.(2) The secretary may adopt those walnut quality standards and product labeling requirements recommended by the commission.(3) If the secretary adopts those walnut quality standards and product labeling requirements, the secretary shall act in accordance with the procedures specified in the California Marketing Act of 1937 (Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 58601) of Part 2 of Division 21), unless otherwise specified in this article.(b) (1) The commission may engage in any activity related to walnuts that is authorized pursuant to the California Marketing Act of 1937 (Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 58601) of Part 2 of Division 21).(2) If the commission engages in an activity pursuant to paragraph (1), the commission shall act in accordance with the procedures specified in that act, unless otherwise specified in this article. 77197. (a) The secretary shall not implement any walnut quality standard or product labeling requirement adopted pursuant to this article until the beginning of the marketing season next succeeding the date on which the standard or requirement is adopted by the secretary.(b) The commission shall not engage in an activity authorized pursuant to this article until the beginning of the marketing season next succeeding the date on which the commission publicly announces its intent to engage in that activity.77198. The commission shall serve as the advisory body to the secretary on all matters pertaining to this article.