Take Action for a Resilient & Equitable Food & Farm System!
Will you join us in advocating for the Equitable Economic Recovery, Healthy Food Access, Climate Resilient Farms and Worker Protection Bond Act? CalCAN is a member of a unique and broad coalition sponsoring the bill, AB 125, introduced by Asm. R. Rivas. This bill would place a bond on the 2022 ballot to propose $3.122 billion in investments over five years to accelerate California’s economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic while combating climate change, improving food security, and protecting our essential farmworkers. The bond includes funding for:
- $1.135 billion for sustainable agriculture, on-farm climate resilience and biodiversity and compost facilities
- $600 million for regional and local food processing, distribution, and market infrastructure
- $637 million for farmworker safety and well-being
- $750 million for infrastructure to combat hunger
Read more about AB 125125 here.
CalCAN’s 2021 Bills Positions
The CalCAN coalition is supporting the following bills with comment letters, testifying at legislative committee hearings and keeping you updated in our blog and newsletter.
AB 284 (Asm. R. Rivas) – Establishes a climate goal for the state’s natural and working lands for 2045. It would also identify practices, policy incentives and tracking methods and other needs to achieve this goal.
AB 252 (Asm. R. Rivas) – Establishes a new grant program for state Groundwater Sustainability Agencies or counties to develop and implement programs that facilitate the adoption of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). These projects could include planting cover crops, converting irrigated agriculture to rangeland, and dryland farming – all of which have soil health and carbon storage benefits.
AB 350 (Asm. Villapudua) – Establishes a technical assistance (TA) grant program to support farmers and landowners in critically overdrafted basins in the San Joaquin Valley to reach water-use reduction foals. At least 25% of these funds would be used to provide targeted TA for farmers of color.
AB 118 (Asm. Kamlager) – Establishes a pilot grant program called the Community Response Initiative to Strengthen Emergency Systems (C.R.I.S.E.S.) program to make grants for community organizations that support responses to local emergencies such as community violence, public health crises and climate disasters.
AB 221 (Asm. Santiago) –Provides emergency food assistance to low-income Californians struggling financially due to COVID-19, regardless of legal status.
SB 464 (Sen. Hurtado) – Makes a noncitizen applicant eligible for the California Food Assistance Program if they satisfy eligibility criteria for the CalFresh Program, except for any requirements that are related to immigration status.
SB 332 (Sen. Dodd) –Limits liability for certified burn bosses and private land owners when performing, supervising or overseeing prescribed burns properly, that could support expanded use of this wildfire mitigation practice.
CalCAN is engaging on a variety of wildfire bills this session to advance agricultural solutions for wildfire risk mitigation and recovery. As they take shape, we will add them to our support list. You can read more about these solutions in our recent blog series:
- Part 1 covered controlled burns
- Part 2 covered prescribed grazing
- Part 3 covered improving access to farms and ranches during wildfire events
- Part 4 covered needed improvements for farmworker conditions and resiliency during wildfire events.
