(a) The department shall develop and establish the Citrus Nursery Stock Pest Cleanliness Program to protect citrus nursery source propagative trees from harmful diseases, pests, and other risks and threats. This program shall be administered by the secretary.

(b) The secretary shall consider input from interested parties as to the feasibility, cost, justification, and effectiveness of the program when developing components of the program.

(c) The program shall include all of the following:

(1) Require that a person who, by any method of propagation, produces any citrus nursery stock shall comply with all eligibility requirements and testing protocols issued by the secretary.

(2) Establish inspection requirements and testing standards, including retesting and other measures to ensure the accuracy and timeliness of test results.

(3) Specify phase-in periods or effective dates for the regulations and for various requirements specified in the regulations.

(4) Define relevant terms. All relevant terms, including, but not limited to, “person,” “sale,” “nursery stock,” and “plant” that are listed and defined in this code shall apply to the program.

(5) Comply with all applicable federal and state quarantine requirements, with regulations establishing pest cleanliness standards for pests other than pathogens or nonpathogenic disorders, and with disclaimer of warranties and financial responsibility requirements specified in Section 3069 of Title 3 of the California Code of Regulations.

(d) The secretary may also adopt and enforce regulations that are necessary to carry out the purposes of this article.

(Added by Stats. 2009, Ch. 639, Sec. 2. (SB 140) Effective November 2, 2009.)