(a) All civil penalties collected pursuant to this chapter by the secretary shall be deposited in the Direct Agricultural Marketing Penalty Account, which is hereby created in the Department of Food and Agriculture Fund, and shall be used to conduct investigations and enforcement actions upon complaints filed or pursuant to information received that results in the investigation of a violation of Section 890. Money deposited pursuant to this chapter also may be used to contract with county agricultural commissioners for services that further the purposes of this chapter, and may be used for expenses incurred by county agricultural commissioners for investigative and enforcement actions conducted pursuant to this chapter. Notwithstanding Section 13340 of the Government Code, all moneys deposited pursuant to this chapter shall be continuously appropriated to the department without regard to fiscal year for purposes of this chapter.
(b) All civil penalties collected pursuant to enforcement actions by a county agricultural commissioner pursuant to this chapter shall be paid to the county treasurer.
(Added by Stats. 2014, Ch. 579, Sec. 1. (AB 1871) Effective January 1, 2015.)