AB 778 requires that a local educational agency that solicits bids for the purchase of agricultural food products accept a bid or price for that agriculture grown in California before accepting an out-of-state bid or price if the following two conditions are met:
- The bid or price of the California-grown agricultural food product does not exceed the lowest bid or price for a domestic agricultural food product produced outside the state; and
- The quality of the California-grown agricultural food product is comparable to the domestic agricultural food product produced outside the state.
The bill also requires that state-owned or state-run institutions that purchase agriculture products implement the necessary practices to purchase no less than 60 percent of the agriculture food products that it purchases in a calendar year that are grown and produced in the state by December 31, 2025. This requirement does not apply to California Community Colleges, the California State University, the University of California, and each campus, branch, or function thereof; or to a school, school district, county office of education, and charter school.
(AB 778 amends Section 58595 of the Food and Agriculture Code.)
