By Taylor Triffo, Managing Director of Legislative Affairs at KSC and CAPCA’s Legislative Advocate

California Association of Pest Control Advisors (CAPCA) continues to actively work to save you money. In late February, the California County Agricultural Commissioners and Sealers Association (CACASA) introduced AB 2380, a bill impacting county registration fees for pest control professionals and businesses.

As introduced, AB 2380 proposed repealing longstanding statutory fee limits assessed by County Agricultural Commissioners on Pest Control Advisers (PCAs), pest control businesses, structural pest operators, pilots, and licensees. The original proposal created significant concern across the regulated community due to the potential for substantial increases in registration costs, particularly for professionals and businesses operating in multiple counties, and significantly inconsistent fee rates.

Through ongoing discussions with the author’s office, county agricultural commissioner representatives, and other stakeholders, CAPCA is advocating for several major improvements to the bill that directly benefit you while still preserving resources necessary for county enforcement and regulatory activities.

Most importantly, the proposed amendments would restore reasonable registration fee caps into the bill. Under the current negotiated framework:

These changes are critically important because they preserve the principle that registrants operating across multiple counties should not face duplicative or excessive costs simply for serving growers and agricultural operations throughout California.

CAPCA has also requested to work closely with CACASA to advance development of a modernized virtual registration system in the future. An online platform would improve efficiency for registrants and county offices alike by streamlining paperwork, reducing administrative burdens, and ultimately lowering long-term operational costs.

The bill has now moved to the Senate, and formal negotiations are underway.

CAPCA’s advocacy efforts focus on striking the right balance: ensuring County Agricultural Commissioners retain the resources needed to carry out important regulatory and enforcement responsibilities while protecting PCAs, applicators, pilots, and businesses from unreasonable fee increases.

Separately, AB 1603, legislation banning the use of fluorinated chemistries (pesticides containing PFAS), passed the Assembly, by only two votes. For a body that hears PFAS and immediately thinks “forever chemicals” this is a monumental testament to CAPCA’s growing and positive relationships with state legislators.  During floor debate, several Democratic legislators raised concerns regarding the lack of viable alternatives, increasing regulatory burdens on farmers and applicators, and the growing pressures posed by invasive pests and crop diseases—thereby reinforcing the role of the PCA.

CAPCA will continue working actively on AB 1603 to ensure the interests of pest control advisers and California agriculture remain fully represented as the bill moves through the Senate process.