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Committee advances bill to give county ag commissioners civil-penalty authority for neglected orchards and vineyards
Summary
AB 732 would allow county agricultural commissioners to issue civil penalties and require multilingual notices and grace periods to address abandoned or neglected agricultural properties that foster pests. Proponents say the measure fills gaps left by a slow lien process; opponents warned about due-process and financial impacts on small farms.
Assemblymember Macedo presented AB 732, which would authorize county agricultural commissioners to issue civil penalties to compel landowners to abate nuisances on abandoned or neglected agricultural properties, with built-in fairness measures including multilingual notices, a grace period, and penalties calibrated to ability to pay.
The author said the measure responds to a rise in fallowed and unmanaged acreage in regions such as the Central Valley and cited factors including lack of surface water, groundwater restrictions under SGMA, low commodity prices and high input costs. He told the…
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