Surcharge Legislation

In 1990, the California legislature created the Rodenticide Surcharge Program with the passage of Assembly Bill 2776, sponsored by the agricultural industry. This legislation, which created Sections 6025 through 6029 in the state Food and Agricultural Code, provided for the following:

  1. The establishment of a research program on the control of vertebrate pests.
  2. The formation of a Vertebrate Pest Control Research Advisory Committee.
  3. The funding of a research program by means of a $0.50 per pound assessment on vertebrate pest control materials sold or distributed by the counties.

The legislation contains a sunset provision whereby the act would be reviewed every 5 years and could be renewed for additional 5-year periods by the legislature.

In 2005 Senate Bill No. 872 (Denham) was enacted which extends the sunset provision until January 1st, 2016.

The money is paid into a research account in CDFA, to be appropriated by the Secretary of CDFA solely for the purpose of establishing and administering the research program. If necessary, the Secretary, following consultation with the VPCRAC, can raise the surcharge assessment to a maximum of $1.00 per pound of material distributed or sold.

Read Surcharge Spent on Research Projects 1991-2008(pdf document)