Bill > AB1042

This bill establishes the Managed Honeybee Health Program within the California Department of Food and Agriculture to support and enhance the health of managed honeybees, which are critical to California's agricultural ecosystem. The bill recognizes that honeybees are essential for pollinating over 90 crops and play a crucial role in maintaining biodiversity, especially given their significant population declines due to factors like habitat loss, climate change, and disease. The program will allow the department to provide grants to eligible recipients, including commercial beekeepers, academic institutions, and nonprofit organizations, for projects that directly improve honeybee health or support research and technical assistance. When awarding grants, the department will consider factors such as benefiting disadvantaged communities, serving socially disadvantaged groups, potential for statewide replication, and environmental co-benefits. The program will be funded through nonstate, federal, and private funds deposited into a new special fund subaccount within the Climate Smart Agriculture Account, with the implementation contingent upon specific legislative appropriation. The bill aims to strengthen California's agricultural sustainability by prioritizing honeybee health through collaborative efforts, research, and targeted interventions.

Agriculture and Natural Resources, Budget and Finance

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billStatusClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB1042