Article 6. Shell Egg Advisory Committee of California Food And Agricultural Code >> Division 12. >> Part 4. >> Chapter 1. >> Article 6.

(a) The secretary shall appoint a Shell Egg Advisory Committee consisting of 10 members, eight of whom shall be selected by the secretary from egg handlers and be representative of the egg industry. The secretary shall appoint two alternates who may serve in the absence of any of the eight egg handler representatives. The California Agricultural Commissioners and Sealers Association shall annually designate one of its members who shall serve in a nonvoting capacity as the ninth member of the committee. The secretary also shall select and appoint one public member to the committee pursuant to subdivision (b). The members of the committee shall receive no salary.
  (b) Upon the secretary's request, the committee shall submit to the secretary 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 secretary as a public member of the committee. The secretary may appoint one of the nominees as the public member on the committee. If all nominees are unsatisfactory to the secretary, the committee shall continue to submit lists of nominees until the secretary has made a selection. A vacancy in the office of the public member of the committee shall be filled by appointment by the secretary from the nominee or nominees similarly qualified submitted by the committee. The public member of the committee shall represent the interests of the general public in all matters coming before the committee and shall have the same voting and other rights and immunities as other members of the committee.

It is hereby declared, as a matter of legislative determination, that egg handlers appointed to the Shell Egg Advisory Committee pursuant to this article are intended to represent and further the interest of a particular agricultural industry concerned, and that the representation and furtherance is intended to serve the public interest. Accordingly, the Legislature finds that, with respect to persons who are appointed to the committee, 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 for each member, other than the member designated by the California Agricultural Commissioners and Sealers Association, of the committee shall be for three years. Appointment of the first voting members shall be made so that the term of office for two voting members shall expire at the end of one year, two at the end of two years, and two at the end of three years. Thereafter, appointments for the voting members shall be for full three-year terms.

The committee shall be advisory to the Secretary of Food and Agriculture on all matters pertaining to standards for shell eggs. The committee may advise on:
  (a) Quality of shell eggs.
  (b) Recommendations concerning sampling.
  (c) Uniformity of inspection.
  (d) Adjustment of fees for proper administration and enforcement.
  (e) Annual budget for the administration and enforcement of this chapter and all matters pertaining to this chapter or regulations adopted pursuant thereto.
  (f) Components of the Egg Quality Assurance Plan, a voluntary food safety program, that are consistent with and promote the purposes of this chapter.

The committee shall meet at the call of its chairman, the director, or at the request of any three members of the committee. The committee shall meet at least once a year. Necessary expenditures incurred by the committee members in attending committee meetings may be reimbursed in accordance with Department of Human Resources rules.