The California Cattle Council was established by a vote of the state’s beef producers to determine if $1.00 should be assessed on the sale of live cattle to fund the California Cattle Council in order to provide more resources to defend and promote cattle production in the state. Senate Bill 965 was enacted in to law on January 1, 2019, creating the opportunity for cattle producers to vote on the formation of the council through a referendum conducted by the California Department of Food and Agriculture. On April 5, 2019 following a favorable implementation referendum among California cattle producers, the Council became fully operative.

With one full year of operation now in the books, the California Cattle board, comprised of cattle producers, has set the strategic plan for the organization and already successfully funded multiple projects.