Existing law appropriates certain unallocated moneys and other specified moneys deposited into the Fair and Exposition Fund, a continuously appropriated fund, to the Secretary of Food and Agriculture for capital outlay to California fairs for, among other things, fair projects involving public health and safety, fair projects involving major and deferred maintenance, and fair projects necessary due to any emergency, as specified.

This bill would instead appropriate those moneys described above to the secretary for capital outlay to California fairs for fair projects involving public health, fire and life safety, and emergency services improvement projects at fairs, California Code of Regulations compliance projects, and maintenance projects at fairgrounds, as specified. By expanding the purposes for which those moneys may be used, the bill would make an appropriation. The bill would provide that not more than 5% of the moneys in the fund may be used during any fiscal year to augment the budget of the Department of Food and Agriculture to develop and administer an operational and policy framework for the network of California fairs. The bill would require all available funds in the fund to be allocated to the network of California fairs pursuant to an approved expenditure plan no later than December 31 of each calendar year.