Article 2. Avocado Inspection Committee of California Food And Agricultural Code >> Division 17. >> Chapter 9. >> Article 2.

There is in the department the Avocado Inspection Committee, which consists of six members. The director shall appoint three members and one alternate member who shall be producers of avocados and three members and one alternate member who shall be representatives of handlers engaged in the packing of avocados from a list of nominees provided by the California Avocado Commission. The director may appoint one additional member of the committee, who shall be a public member. The committee shall meet on the direction of the director or when requested by a majority of the committee.

Upon the director's request, the committee shall submit to the director the name of a natural person, who 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 committee. The director may appoint this nominee as the public member on the committee. If the nominee is unsatisfactory to the director, the committee shall continue to submit nominees until the director has made a selection. Any vacancy in the office of the public member of the committee shall be filled in the same manner as used in initially selecting the public member. 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.

The committee member's term of office shall be two years. Appointment of the first members shall be made so that the terms of office of three members shall expire at the end of one year and three at the end of two years. Thereafter, appointment shall be for full two-year terms. Each committee member shall be limited to four consecutive terms in office. Any vacancies which occur during an unexpired term shall be filled for the unexpired term following the same procedure used for initially nominating and appointing members.

The committee shall be advisory to the director, and to the California Avocado Commission if it decides to act pursuant to Section 67095, on all matters pertaining to this chapter, shall review all proposed regulations relating to this chapter, and shall make recommendations concerning the inspection and certification services under this chapter, including, but not limited to, the annual budget and fees necessary to provide adequate inspection and certification services; inspection procedures; training and supervision of inspectors; and enforcement actions, including the imposition of any fees and costs for inspection and surveillance provided for in subdivision (c) of Section 44975.

(a) In adopting regulations pursuant to this chapter, the director shall accept the recommendations of the advisory committee whenever he or she finds them to be practicable and in the interests of the avocado industry and the public. The director shall provide the committee with a written statement of reasons within 15 working days, whenever he or she does not accept the committee recommendation.
  (b) In the case of recommendations involving enforcement actions based on actual or alleged violations of this chapter, the committee by majority vote may bring an action for injunctive relief as provided for in Section 44974, retain private legal counsel for this purpose, and use fees provided for under this chapter to pay all reasonable fees and costs incurred in bringing the action. However, legal fees and costs incurred in each separate action which exceed twenty thousand dollars ($20,000) shall not be paid unless concurred in by the director. Prior to commencing this action, the committee must review all available information, recommend specific enforcement action to the director, and allow the director the opportunity to respond as provided for in this section. Notwithstanding the director' s response, nothing in this section shall be construed as preventing the committee from bringing an action for injunctive relief.

Committee members shall be compensated for all reasonable expenses incurred in the performance of their duties, as determined by the committee and concurred in by the director.

(a) The committee may recommend to the director that avocados subject to weather-related damage not be harvested for a specified period of time and the director may restrict harvesting based on that recommendation.
  (b) The director shall adopt regulations which govern the committee's recommendations made pursuant to this section. The regulations shall include, but not be limited to, all of the following:
  (1) The maximum period of time for which harvesting may not be done.
  (2) The geographical region for which the recommendation would be made.
  (3) The minimum level of damage required in order to make a recommendation.
  (4) The manner in which affected growers and handlers are to be notified of the decision of the director.
  (5) A definition of weather-related damage.
  (6) Procedures and criteria for issuing exemptions to growers from the decision of the director made pursuant to this section and for the handling of avocados from an exempt grower.

(a) The requirements specified in this chapter, including, but not limited to, the setting, collection, and handling of inspection and certification fees and other costs of service, inspection frequency and procedures, hiring, training, and supervision of inspectors and other necessary personnel, use and revocation of an official stamp or permit, reports prior to preparing avocados for market, and recordkeeping with respect to avocados, may be conducted by the California Avocado Commission instead of the director, if authorized in the manner specified in Section 67095.
  (b) The enforcement and regulatory authority of the director which is specified in this chapter shall remain in full force and effect. However, the authority of the director shall be exercised in consultation and cooperation with the commission during any period in which the commission exercises its authority pursuant to Section 67095.
  (c) All expenditures incurred by the director in carrying out his or her duties under subdivision (b) shall be reimbursed from fees collected under this chapter.