AMENDED IN SENATE AUGUST 13, 2026

AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 8, 2026

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION

97

Introduced by Assembly Member Connolly

(Coauthors: Assembly Members Aguiar-Curry, Alanis, Jeff Gonzalez, Hadwick, and Soria)

February 4, 2026

An act to amend Section 3204 of the Food and Agricultural Code, relating to fairs, and making an appropriation therefor.

Vote: 2/3   Appropriation: yes   Fiscal committee: yes   Local program: no

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

Existing law appropriates certain unallocated moneys and other specified moneys deposited into the Fair and Exposition Fund, a continuously appropriated fund, to the Secretary of Food and Agriculture for capital outlay to California fairs for, among other things, fair projects involving public health and safety, fair projects involving major and deferred maintenance, and fair projects necessary due to any emergency, as specified.

This bill would instead appropriate those moneys described above to the secretary for capital outlay to California fairs for fair projects involving public health, fire and life safety, and emergency services improvement projects at fairs, California Code of Regulations compliance projects, and maintenance projects at fairgrounds, as specified. By expanding the purposes for which those moneys may be used, the bill would make an appropriation. The bill would provide that not more than 5% of the moneys in the fund may be retained in the fund from year to year as a prudent reserve for contingencies. require moneys deposited into the fund after November 1 of each year to be allocated within 90 days of the receipt of the moneys, as provided. The bill would require all available moneys in the fund to be allocated to the network of California fairs pursuant to an approved expenditure plan no later than December 31 of each calendar year. year, except that beginning January 1, 2027, and every year thereafter, a reasonable amount may be retained from year to year as a prudent reserve for contingencies, as specified.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

Section 3204 of the Food and Agricultural Code is amended to read:

3204.

(a) Any unallocated balance from Section 3202, 3203, or 3205, revenue deposited into the Fair and Exposition Fund pursuant to Section 19614 of the Business and Professions Code, and funding appropriated by the Legislature or otherwise designated for California fairs pursuant to this chapter or any other law is hereby appropriated without regard to fiscal years for allocation by the secretary for capital outlay to California fairs for fair projects involving public health, fire and life safety, and emergency services improvement projects at fairs, California Code of Regulations compliance projects, and maintenance projects at fairgrounds, for projects that are required by physical changes to the fair site, for projects that are required to protect the fair property or installation, such as fencing and flood protection, and for the acquisition or improvement of any property or facility that will serve to enhance the operation of the fair.

(b) A portion of the moneys subject to allocation pursuant to subdivision (a) may be allocated to California fairs for general operational support. It is the intent of the Legislature that these moneys be used primarily for those fairs whose sources of revenue may be limited for purposes specified in this section.

(d) All Except as provided in subdivision (e), all available moneys in the Fair and Exposition Fund shall be allocated to the network of California fairs pursuant to an approved expenditure plan no later than December 31 of each calendar year.