Senate subcommittee questions CDFA budget as cyber, lab and farm-to-school spending rise

The Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee Subcommittee No. 4 on Tuesday heard an overview of the California Department of Food and Agriculture's (CDFA) proposed 2025–26 budget and pressed department officials on contingency planning, spending priorities and funding sources.

CDFA Deputy Secretary for Administration and Finance Arma Cozina told the subcommittee the governor’s 2025–26 proposal would support CDFA with roughly $775,000,000 and about 2,075 positions. The department’s funding mix in the governor’s proposal includes general fund, industry assessments, federal grants, bond and other funds. “CDFA’s mission is really to safeguard a resilient food system and promote an equitable marketplace,” Cozina said.

The subcommittee focused on several budget change proposals (BCPs) that Chair Cabaldon said required further review given the state’s broader fiscal constraints. Those included a cybersecurity remediation proposal, operational funding for a new Turlock North Valley Animal Health Laboratory, a $24.9 million Farm to School proposal and a $131.8 million initial appropriation request tied to programs identified in Proposition 4 (the climate bond).

Why it matters: The items under discussion carry operational and public‑health consequences (cybersecurity and laboratory capacity) and longer‑term policy and budget implications (climate bond spending and school food procurement). Members repeatedly asked how the department would adapt if expected federal funding declines and whether costs…