Report 2019-121 Recommendation 6 Responses

Report 2019-121: California Department of Food and Agriculture: Poor Management Threatens the Success of the Pet Lover's Specialized License Plate Program (Release Date: March 2020)

Recommendation #6 To: Food and Agriculture, Department of

To improve the effectiveness of marketing of the Pet Lover's program, by August 2020 Food and Agriculture should contract with an eligible nonprofit organization, as state law allows, to carry out additional marketing and promotional activities for the program.

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From September 2023

Based on guidance from the DMV, CDFA was made aware that the marketing administrative budget for the Pet Lover's License Plate is based on plate purchases and renewals, rather than budget authority. This budget is insufficient to participate in the DMV insert and partner with a non-profit for separate marketing of the plate. Should additional funding be made available in the future, CDFA will reconsider this recommendation.

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Will Not Implement

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2022

Based on guidance from the DMV, CDFA has been made aware that the marketing administrative budget for the Pet Lover's License Plate is based on plate purchases and renewals, rather than budget authority. This budget is insufficient to participate in the DMV insert and partner with a non-profit for separate marketing of the plate. Should additional funding be made available in the future, CDFA will reconsider this recommendation.

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Will Not Implement

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2021

In the six-month and one-year agency responses submitted to the California State Auditor, CDFA advised that this recommendation would not be implemented due to limitations on CDFA's budget authority and funding available for administrative costs that made it impossible for CDFA to administer the program, participate in the DMV flyer, and contract with an eligible nonprofit organization for additional marketing and promotional activities. As the result of a recently approved Budget Change Proposal CDFA's budget authority for Pet Lover's has increased sufficiently to include a contract with an eligible nonprofit organization for additional marketing and promotional activities. Efforts to develop a request for proposals are in early stages, but CDFA anticipates that this recommendation will be implemented within the current fiscal year.

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: No Action Taken

1-Year Agency Response

Unchanged from six-month report. CDFA's budget authority for the Pet Lover's grant program is $440,000 annually through the current state fiscal year, of which 25 percent ($110,000) can be used for administrative costs including marketing of the program. Costs to participate in the DMV flyer in the current and upcoming fiscal years will be approximately $50,000, or 45 percent of the total administrative budget. At this time, there is not administrative funding sufficient for CDFA to participate in the DMV flyer, administer in the program, and contract with an eligible nonprofit organization for additional marketing and promotional activities.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 1-Year Status: Will Not Implement

We stand by our recommendation that Food and Agriculture should contract with an eligible nonprofit organization, as state law allows, to carry out additional marketing and promotional activities for the Pet Lover's program.

6-Month Agency Response

CDFA's budget authority for the Pet Lover's grant program is $440,000 annually through the current state fiscal year, of which 25 percent ($110,000) can be used for administrative costs including marketing of the program. Costs to participate in the DMV flyer in the current fiscal year will be $50,000, or 45 percent of the total administrative budget. At this time, there is not administrative funding sufficient for CDFA to participate in the DMV flyer, administer the program, and contract with an eligible nonprofit organization for additional marketing and promotional activities.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Pending

60-Day Agency Response

The department indicated it will respond at the six month mark.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 60-Day Status: Pending

All Recommendations in 2019-121

Agency responses received are posted verbatim.