The Legislature hereby declares all of the following:

(a) It is the intent of this chapter to enable the seed industry, with the aid of the state, to ensure that seed purchased by the consumer-buyer is properly identified and of the quality and amount represented on the tag or label.

(b) The success of agriculture and the seed industry in this state depends upon the continued commitment to industry-funded research in order to improve the quality and variety of seed available to the consumer-buyer.

(c) Noncommercial seed sharing activity contributes significant value to the health of our communities and to the resilience of our food system. This chapter is intended to support noncommercial seed sharing activity and is not intended to supersede any provision of the California Rice Certification Act of 2000 (Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 55000) of Division 20).

(Amended by Stats. 2016, Ch. 259, Sec. 2. (AB 1810) Effective January 1, 2017.)