1.0" ?> 20250HR__001999INT 99 INTRODUCED 2025-02-25 REVISED 2025-03-17 2025 0 HR 19 INT Introduced by Assembly Members Soria and Alanis (Coauthors: Assembly Members Aguiar-Curry, Connolly, Jeff Gonzalez, Hadwick, Irwin, Addis, Ahrens, Alvarez, Arambula, Ávila Farías, Bains, Bauer-Kahan, Bennett, Berman, Boerner, Bonta, Calderon, Caloza, Castillo, Chen, Davies, DeMaio, Dixon, Elhawary, Ellis, Essayli, Flora, Fong, Gabriel, Gallagher, Garcia, Gipson, Mark González, Haney, Harabedian, Hoover, Jackson, Kalra, Krell, Lackey, Lowenthal, Macedo, McKinnor, Muratsuchi, Nguyen, Pacheco, Papan, Patel, Patterson, Pellerin, Petrie-Norris, Quirk-Silva, Ramos, Ransom, Celeste Rodriguez, Michelle Rodriguez, Rogers, Blanca Rubio, Schiavo, Schultz, Sharp-Collins, Solache, Stefani, Ta, Tangipa, Wallis, Wicks, Wilson, and Zbur) LEAD_AUTHOR ASSEMBLY Soria LEAD_AUTHOR ASSEMBLY Alanis COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Aguiar-Curry COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Connolly COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Jeff Gonzalez COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Hadwick COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Irwin COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Addis COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Ahrens COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Alvarez COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Arambula COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Ávila Farías COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Bains COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Bauer-Kahan COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Bennett COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Berman COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Boerner COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Bonta COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Calderon COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Caloza COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Castillo COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Chen COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Davies COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY DeMaio COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Dixon COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Elhawary COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Ellis COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Essayli COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Flora COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Fong COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Gabriel COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Gallagher COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Garcia COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Gipson COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Mark González COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Haney COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Harabedian COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Hoover COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Jackson COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Kalra COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Krell COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Lackey COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Lowenthal COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Macedo COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY McKinnor COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Muratsuchi COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Nguyen COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Pacheco COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Papan COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Patel COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Patterson COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Pellerin COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Petrie-Norris COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Quirk-Silva COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Ramos COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Ransom COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Celeste Rodriguez COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Michelle Rodriguez COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Rogers COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Blanca Rubio COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Schiavo COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Schultz COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Sharp-Collins COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Solache COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Stefani COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Ta COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Tangipa COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Wallis COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Wicks COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Wilson COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Zbur Relative to California Agriculture Day. California Agriculture Day

WHEREAS, March 19, 2025, is designated as California Agriculture Day, a day of celebration to commemorate agriculture’s importance in our daily lives, its vital role in keeping Californians nourished, and its role in keeping the state’s economy ranked as the fifth largest in the world; and

WHEREAS, The theme of California Agriculture Day 2025 is “Ag at work: Cultivating Careers & Communities” in recognition of the vital role that agriculture plays in our state. From nurturing careers to building vibrant communities, our agricultural industry is the backbone of California. Let us honor the dedication and hard work of those in the agricultural sector who help feed the nation and sustain our communities; and

WHEREAS, For more than 60 consecutive years, California has been the number one agricultural state in the nation, producing more than 400 crop and livestock products and accounting for over one-third of vegetables and nearly three-quarters of the fruits and nuts produced in the United States; and

WHEREAS, Farming and related industries employ more than 22.1 million people, making up over 10.4 percent of employment in the United States; and

WHEREAS, California’s agricultural community relies on a vital infrastructure that aids in the exclusion and early detection of plant and animal pests and diseases that impact public health, the environment, and commerce; and

WHEREAS, The inexhaustible efforts of millions of farmworkers have contributed greatly to the success of the industry; and

WHEREAS, Today’s agricultural industry offers over 200 challenging and rewarding career opportunities, from on-farm cultivation to food science and engineering; and

WHEREAS, Over the past seven decades, advances in agricultural production have resulted in a drop in consumer spending on food products from 22 percent of average household disposable income in 1949 to 11.2 percent in 2023; and

WHEREAS, California is the nation’s leader in agricultural exports, shipping $23.6 billion in food and agricultural commodities around the world in 2022, which represents a 4.4 percent increase from the previous year; and

WHEREAS, California is the nation’s sole exporter of many agricultural commodities, supplying 99 percent or more of the nation’s exported almonds, artichokes, dates, figs, garlic, kiwifruit, olives and olive oil, pistachios, prunes, raisins, table grapes, tomatoes for processing, and walnuts; and

WHEREAS, California’s agricultural industry constantly seeks to incorporate the latest scientific and technological production and marketing techniques to meet the demands of changing consumer needs and complex world markets; and

WHEREAS, Science, technology, and innovation have enabled California agriculture to continually improve quality, safety, and consumer product choice, and drive advancements in organic production, reduced water use, and more sustainable pest management practices, including biological controls; and

WHEREAS, California agriculture has provided strong leadership in the adoption of climate-smart practices to reduce methane and other greenhouse gas emissions, improve energy efficiency, save water, and scale up soil health practices to sequester carbon and other solutions to climate change; and

WHEREAS, Public-private partnerships are continually being developed to improve quality and ensure safe handling practices on the farm, in transit, and during processing; and

WHEREAS, California consumers say that it is important to them to purchase food items grown in the state and they have demonstrated increased support of farmers’ markets, community-supported agricultural programs, and Farm to School programs; and

WHEREAS, A broad approach to agricultural education is vital to ensuring that California agricultural farms and ranches continue to flourish; and

WHEREAS, California is estimated to lose 797,400 acres of agricultural land by 2040, and more than 300,000 acres of it will have been highly productive irrigated cropland, and thus California should continue to work for conservation to preserve California’s agricultural heritage; and

WHEREAS, It is appropriate for all Californians to recognize our farmers, ranchers, farmworkers, and others involved in providing such a bounty to our nation and the entire world; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, That the Assembly recognizes and honors all those who work in California agriculture for their dedication and productivity by designating Wednesday, March 19, 2025, as California Agriculture Day and by observing March 18, 2025, as National Agriculture Day; and be it further

Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution. REVISIONS: Heading—Line 3.