(a) The director may collect an assessment, in addition to the mill assessment collected pursuant to Section 12841, for all pesticide sales for use in this state except for sales for use in this state of pesticides labeled solely for home, industrial, or institutional use. The director may only collect up to an additional three-fourths mill ($0.00075) per dollar of sales, in addition to the rate established pursuant to Section 12841, if necessary to fund, or augment the funding for, an appropriation to the Department of Food and Agriculture to provide pesticide consultation to the department pursuant to Section 11454.2. The necessity of this additional assessment shall be determined by the Secretary of Food and Agriculture, in consultation with the director, on an annual basis after consideration of all other revenue sources, including any reserves, which may be appropriated for this purpose. The secretary’s written determination, including a request for a specified additional assessment and the basis for that request, shall be provided to the director by a time and in a manner prescribed by the director.
(b) The revenue collected pursuant to this section shall be deposited monthly in a separate account in the Department of Food and Agriculture Fund. These revenues shall be expended only by the Department of Food and Agriculture, upon appropriation, to provide consultation to the department pursuant to Section 11454.2. No funds may be expended prior to the execution of a memorandum of understanding pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 11454.2. The consultation activities to be undertaken by the Department of Food and Agriculture are limited solely to those specifically authorized in the memorandum of understanding executed pursuant to Section 11454.2. These funds may not be expended for scientific risk assessment activities. The department shall be reimbursed from the Department of Food and Agriculture Fund for the department’s revenue collection activities. If the director determines that a person is entitled to a refund of mill assessment funds that were collected pursuant to this section, the director shall inform the Secretary of Food and Agriculture of the amount of the refund due, which shall be reimbursed from the Department of Food and Agriculture Fund.
(Amended by Stats. 2003, Ch. 741, Sec. 66. Effective January 1, 2004.)