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Assembly committee backs bill to bar online marketplaces from facilitating sales of listed noxious weeds
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Summary
Assemblymember Irwin presented AB 21 43 to prohibit online marketplaces from accepting payment for noxious weeds shipped into California; UC Davis and agricultural groups testified in support, TechNet urged workable standards tied to the Department of Food and Agriculture list; the measure was reported out to appropriations.
A committee of the California State Assembly moved AB 21 43 forward after members heard testimony that online marketplaces are contributing to the spread of invasive "noxious weeds." Assemblymember Irwin, the bill's author, said such plants overrun crops, damage soil health and cost the state millions of dollars, and argued marketplaces should be required to prevent sales of regulated species into California.
Professor Mohsen Mesgura, introduced by the author as a weed-science professor at UC Davis, told the committee his lab compiled a harmonized database of noxious-weed listings and found that more than one-third of nearly 1,000 listed species were readily available for purchase online. "Prevention remains the most cost-effective strategy for managing invasive species," he said, urging members to support the bill and pointing to a forthcoming API his team has prepared to help marketplaces check listings.
Taylor Trifo, representing California Citrus Mutual and other agricultural clients, said California's pest-prevention system was established for a different era and that e-commerce has changed how invasive species enter the state. He asked the committee to modernize enforcement by extending existing compliance mechanisms to online platforms.
Jose Torres of TechNet said his members share the goal of protecting the state's ecosystems but flagged operational concerns with holding platforms strictly liable for third-party listings. He said marketplaces provide the transaction infrastructure but do not always control how third-party sellers describe products and urged the author to work with industry to create clear, achievable standards based on a reliable list from the California Department of Food and Agriculture.
Members asked about the proposed fine structure and potential impacts on small sellers. The author said penalties are intended for large online marketplaces, while traditional nurseries and in-state sellers would remain subject to existing agricultural enforcement and lower fines. The committee did not vote immediately because it first proceeded as a subcommittee without a full quorum; when a quorum was present the bill was moved to appropriations as "do pass as amended." The committee recorded the measure as reported out to appropriations for further consideration.
