CACASA Presents “Champions Award” to California Assemblymember Diane Papan
he California Agricultural Commissioners and Sealers Association (CACASA) honored Assemblymember Diane Papan (D-San Mateo) with its first-ever “Champions Award” during the organization’s Fall Conference held in Sacramento in October.
“This new CACASA Champions Award is being bestowed to individuals in recognition of their work to fight for safe, fair and equitable consumer protection policies,” said Lindsey Carter, Executive Director of CACASA. “Assemblymember Papan did just that during this past legislative session by authoring and fighting for passage of AB 2037, a bill designed to ensure electric vehicle chargers are accurate.”
AB 2037, which was signed into law by Governor Newsom last month, authorizes the Sealer of Weights and Measures located in each California county to test and verify as correct any electric vehicle charger operated by a public agency.
This is the same service County Sealers provide for gas stations to ensure pumps are accurate and that consumers are protected from overcharges when they fuel their vehicles with gasoline. Prior to this bill, privately owned EV charging stations were subject to third-party verification, but those owned by public agencies such as city or county governments were exempt.
“With more and more local governments installing EV charging stations in their communities, it’s important they are subject to the same testing required of privately-owned charging stations,” said Carter. “Papan supported this effort to ensure that consumers are protected from fraud at all EV charging stations just like they are with gas stations.
“Papan believes that County Sealers and their staff members are the ideal third-parties to test EV stations for accuracy and worked closely with us to ensure its passage,” said Carter. “We appreciate the time and effort Assemblymember Papan put in on this bill and thank her for recognizing that County Sealers are the unsung heroes when it comes to protecting consumers.”
Carter explained that every California county has a person designated as the county’s official Sealer of Weights and Measures. Often the County Sealer also serves as County Agricultural Commissioner. These individuals are appointed and employed by the County Board of Supervisors. They oversee a staff who perform myriad duties designed to ensure pesticide laws are enforced, that bees, farmworkers and the environment are protected and that invasive pests are prevented from taking hold in the state’s agricultural fields. In addition, under their responsibilities as County Sealers, they routinely visit retail outlets monitoring prices and checking to make sure that weights of products sold at retail are accurate. County Sealers also inspect and test all water, electric and natural gas sub-meters, gasoline pumps and propane dispensers to ensure they are accurate and any commercial operation that uses a scale to sell consumer goods, must have them regularly certified by the county Sealer.
AB 2037, the new law authored by Assemblymember Papan, specifies that County Sealers are authorized to test and verify as correct any electric vehicle charger operated by a public agency located in the county in which the Sealer has jurisdiction. Upon testing and finding that an electric vehicle charger is incorrect, the County Sealer must mark the station with “out of order” and require the charger be repaired or corrected. The law states the County Sealer is authorized to levy a civil penalty against a public agency for removing signage stating the charger is out of order. It also authorizes the county Board of Supervisors to charge an annual registration fee for the cost of inspecting and testing an electric vehicle charger operated by a public agency.
AB 2037 goes into effect January 1, 2026.