Article 4. Feed Inspection Advisory Board of California Food And Agricultural Code >> Division 7. >> Chapter 6. >> Article 4.

There is in state government a Feed Inspection Advisory Board consisting of eight persons appointed by the director, who are licensed under this chapter, and who are subject to payment of the inspection tonnage tax in accordance with this chapter. The director may appoint one additional member to the board who shall be a public member. The members of the board shall receive no salary, but are entitled to payment of necessary traveling expenses in accordance with Department of Human Resources rules. These expenses shall be paid out of appropriations made to the department. Upon the director's request, the board shall submit to the director the names of three or more natural persons, each of whom shall be a citizen and resident of this state and not a producer, shipper, or processor nor financially interested in any producer, shipper, or processor, for appointment by the director as a public member of the board. The director may appoint one of the nominees as the public member on the board. If all nominees are unsatisfactory to the director, the board shall continue to submit lists of nominees until the director has made a selection. Any vacancy in the office of the public member of the board shall be filled by appointment by the director from the nominee or nominees similarly qualified submitted by the board. The public member of the board shall represent the interests of the general public in all matters coming before the board and shall have the same voting and other rights and immunities as other members of the board.

It is hereby declared, as a matter of legislative determination, that persons appointed to the Feed Inspection Advisory Board pursuant to this article are intended to represent and further the interest of a particular agricultural industry concerned, and that such representation and furtherance is intended to serve the public interest. Accordingly, the Legislature finds that, with respect to persons who are appointed to such board, the particular agricultural industry concerned is tantamount to, and constitutes, the public generally within the meaning of Section 87103 of the Government Code.

The term of office of the members of the board is three years. When the board is first appointed, two members shall be appointed for three years, two members for two years, and one member of one year. Thereafter appointment shall be for full three-year terms. Vacancies shall be filled for an unexpired term.

Except as otherwise provided in Sections 14978 and 14979, the board shall be advisory to the director and may make recommendations on all matters pertaining to this chapter, including, but not limited to, the inspection and enforcement program, annual budget, necessary fees to provide adequate inspection services, and regulations required to accomplish the purposes of this chapter.

The board shall elect a chairman, and from time to time such other officers as it may deem advisable.

The board shall meet at the call of its chairman or the director or at the request of any three members of the board. The board shall meet at least once a year.

(a) In order to avoid administrative charges which may adversely impact persons subject to this chapter, and to provide for more efficient implementation of this chapter, the board may, on or before January 15 of any year, establish or designate one or more entities to administer all or any part of this chapter for the fiscal year beginning July 1 of the same year through June 30 of the following year, in accordance with the regulations and procedures adopted or established by the director pursuant to Section 14979.
  (b) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), the director shall be responsible for the enforcement of this chapter and for the establishment of enforcement procedures.

The entity or entities that may be established or designated by the board pursuant to Section 14978 includes, but shall not be limited to, the following:
  (a) The committee established pursuant to Section 14978.2.
  (b) Agricultural councils, commissions, and any entity established in accordance with a marketing order.
  (c) Federal, state, or county agencies.
  (d) The University of California and cooperative extension service.
  (e) Agricultural associations and cooperatives.
  (f) State accredited or certified chemistry laboratories. However, the board may not designate any entity that is a trade association whose membership is composed primarily of persons licensed under this chapter or that represents persons regulated by this chapter.

(a) The board may establish the Commercial Feed Inspection Committee as an entity to administer this chapter. The committee shall consist of eight persons appointed by the board who shall be licensed under this chapter. The committee may, with the concurrence of the director, appoint one additional member to the committee, who shall be a public member. The public member shall be a citizen and resident of California who is not subject to the licensing requirements of this chapter, and who has no financial interest in any person licensed under this chapter.
  (b) Each member shall have an alternate member appointed in the same manner as the member, who shall serve in the absence of the member for whom they are designated as alternate and who shall have all the duties and exercise the full rights and privileges of members.
  (c) The committee may appoint its own officers, including a chairperson, one or more vice chairpersons, and other officers as it deems necessary. The officers shall have the powers and duties delegated to them by the committee.
  (d) The members and alternate members, when acting as members, shall serve without compensation but shall be reimbursed for expenses necessarily incurred by them in the performance of their duties in accordance with the rules of the California Victim Compensation and Government Claims Board.
  (e) A quorum of the committee shall be five members. A vote of the majority of the members present at a meeting at which there is a quorum shall constitute the act of the committee.
  (f) No member or alternate member, or any employee or agent thereof, shall be personally liable for the actions of the committee or responsible individually in any way for errors in judgment, mistakes, or other acts, either by commission or omission, except for his or her own individual acts of dishonesty or crime.

Any entity established or designated pursuant to Section 14978 shall do all of the following:
  (a) Administer this chapter or any part thereof, and to do and perform all acts and exercise all powers deemed reasonably necessary.
  (b) Keep accurate books and records of its activities, which shall be subject to annual audit by an auditing firm approved by the director. The audit shall be made a part of an annual report to all persons licensed under this chapter. The books and records shall be available for audit during regular business hours upon request of the director.
  (c) Establish an annual budget, including, but not limited to, the allocation of funds required for inspection services necessary for the administration of this chapter.
  (d) Make recommendations to the director concerning all of the following:
  (1) Adoption, modification, and repeal of regulations and procedures.
  (2) Procedures for employment, training, supervision, and compensation of inspectors and other personnel.
  (3) Rate and collection of inspection tonnage tax and the collection of license fees and penalties related thereto.
  (4) Acquisition and use of equipment.
  (5) Posting and noticing changes in bylaws, general procedures, or orders.

The director may require any entity or entities established or designated pursuant to Section 14978 to correct or cease any activity or function that is determined by the director not to be in the public interest, or that is in violation of this chapter, and shall notify the entity in writing of these specific acts.

Persons subject to this chapter shall not have access to any information in the possession of any entity or entities established or designated pursuant to Section 14978 that would disclose proprietary information regarding any other person subject to this chapter, including feed test results, individual tonnage tax payment, and feed formula information.

Any person licensed under this chapter may petition the director, in accordance with regulations adopted by the director, to review any action, order, or decision of the entity or entities established or designated pursuant to Section 14978.

(a) The director shall adopt regulations to be used by the entity or entities established or designated by the board pursuant to Section 14978 to administer this chapter. The regulations shall include, but not be limited to, contracts for analytical services with commercial laboratories and for any additional services.
  (b) The director shall establish procedures to be used by the entity or entities established or designated by the board pursuant to Section 14978 to administer this chapter. The procedures shall include, but not be limited to, all of the following:
  (1) Employment, training, supervision, and compensation of inspectors and other personnel.
  (2) Allocation of funds and use of existing equipment and acquisition of equipment.
  (3) Collection of inspection tonnage tax, license fees and penalties related thereto.
  (c) This section is not subject to Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code.
  (d) In adopting regulations and procedures, the director shall accept the recommendations of the entity or entities established or designated pursuant to Section 14978 if he or she finds them to be practicable and in the interest of the commercial feed industry and the public. Within 30 days of the date the director receives a recommendation from any such entity, the director shall provide the entity with notice of the acceptance of the recommendations or with a written statement of reasons if he or she does not accept the recommendation.