AB 1042 to Establish Managed Honeybee Health Program

SACRAMENTO — California’s Assembly Bill 1042, which would establish a Managed Honeybee Health Program, has been sent to the Governor’s desk. Lawmakers introduced the measure through Assemblywoman Rhodesia Ransom (D-Tracy), with co-authorship from Heather Hadwick (R-Alturas). Both the state Assembly and Senate gave the bill effectively unanimous support.

Honeybees pollinate a wide range of crops that help sustain California’s agricultural economy. The Managed Honeybee Health Program would operate as a voluntary, grant-funded initiative to improve bee health. Projects could include pest management, hive health monitoring, disease prevention treatments, nutritional support, and more. University research and beekeeper training programs would qualify for support as well.

The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFW) would be responsible for awarding grants. To fund the grants, lawmakers would need to appropriate money into a new Managed Honeybee Health Special Fund Subaccount, housed within the existing Climate Smart Agriculture Account in the state treasury. When awarding those grants, the CDFA would evaluate proposals based on several priorities, including benefits to disadvantaged communities, service to socially disadvantaged groups, potential for replication across the state, and contributions to environmental and agricultural gains, such as reduced hive losses and expanded honeybee habitats.

“Honeybees are vital to California’s agriculture and food supply, and AB 1042 ensures that the state can provide grants, research, and technical assistance to enhance bee health and support pollination services that sustain farms across our state,” wrote Hadwick in a press release. “Bees may be small, but they are the backbone of California’s agriculture and economy,” added Assemblymember Ransom. “By protecting pollinators, we’re protecting our food supply, our farmers, and the future of our state.”