Section 46003 Of Chapter 10. Organic Foods From California Food And Agricultural Code >> Division 17. >> Chapter 10.
46003
. (a) The secretary shall establish an advisory committee,
which shall be known as the California Organic Products Advisory
Committee, for the purpose of advising the secretary with respect to
his or her responsibilities under this act and Article 7 (commencing
with Section 110810) of Chapter 5 of Part 5 of Division 104 of the
Health and Safety Code.
(b) The advisory committee shall be comprised of 15 members. Each
member may have an alternate. Six members and their alternates shall
be producers, at least one of whom shall be a producer of meat, fowl,
fish, dairy products, or eggs. Two members and their alternates
shall be processors, one member and his or her alternate shall be
wholesale distributors, two members and their alternates shall be
consumer representatives, one member and his or her alternate shall
be environmental representatives, two members and their alternates
shall be technical representatives with scientific credentials
related to agricultural chemicals, toxicology, or food science, and
one member and his or her alternate shall be retail representatives.
Except for the consumer, environmental, and technical
representatives, the members of the advisory committee and their
alternates shall have derived a substantial portion of their business
income, wages, or salary as a result of services they provide which
directly result in the production, handling, processing, or retailing
of products sold as organic for at least three years preceding their
appointment to the advisory committee. The consumer and
environmental representatives and their alternates shall not have a
financial interest in the direct sales or marketing of the organic
product industry and shall be members or employees of representatives
of recognized nonprofit organizations whose principal purpose is the
protection of consumer health or protection of the environment. The
technical representatives and their alternates shall not have a
financial interest in the production, handling, processing, or
marketing of the organic products industry. The technical
representatives may be involved in organic research or technical
review providing they have no financial benefit from results of the
research project or technical review.
(c) An alternate member shall serve at an advisory committee
meeting only in the absence of, and shall have the same powers and
duties as, the category whom he or she is representing as alternate,
except for duties and powers as an officer of the committee. The
number of alternates present who are not serving in the capacity of a
member shall not be considered in determining a quorum.
(d) An alternate member may serve at an advisory committee
subcommittee meeting only in the absence of, and shall have the same
powers and duties as, the member whom he or she is designated as
alternate, except for duties and powers as a subcommittee
chairperson.
(e) The members of the advisory committee and their alternates
described in subdivision (b) shall be reimbursed for the reasonable
expenses actually incurred in the performance of their duties, as
determined by the advisory committee and approved by the secretary.
(f) The secretary or his or her representative, the State Public
Health Officer or his or her representative, and a county
agricultural commissioner may serve as ex officio members of the
advisory committee.