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:
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.
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 1991-2003 (pdf document)
Animal Subject: vole, pheasants
Control Method: zinc phosphide