Article 7. Certification Of Rice of California Food And Agricultural Code >> Division 20. >> Chapter 4. >> Article 7.

The commission may establish a program allowing for the certification of any verifiable attribute of rice. The commission may operate the program or contract with qualified entities to implement all or any aspect of the program. No organization shall be considered qualified for the purposes of this article unless it can provide accurate, verifiable certification of identified attributes of seed, rough or paddy rice, or milled rice, as determined by the commission. This article does not authorize the certification of any rice as organic. Certification pursuant to this article shall not be construed as establishing any production, processing, or market tolerance.

(a) The commission shall require any organization seeking to certify rice pursuant to this article to file the procedures and standards of an internationally recognized identity preservation program or a certification plan, including, but not limited to, the following:
  (1) Minimum information to be required from seed producers, producers and handlers regarding production, growing, conditioning, or processing practices, and methods for verifying the information received.
  (2) Qualifications of, and training requirements for, all inspectors.
  (3) Procedures for inspection and testing methods, including a complete description of the sampling methodologies.
  (4) Criteria for certification and attributes to be certified.
  (5) Processes for decisionmaking relative to certification procedures, criteria, and methods.
  (b) The certification plan shall be kept by the commission and made available for public inspection upon request.

Organizations certifying rice shall keep accurate books, accounts, and records of all activities relating to certification. The records shall be preserved for a period of three years and shall be submitted for inspection at any reasonable time upon written demand of the commission.

At the end of each rice producing season, as established by the commission, each organization certifying rice for the commission shall prepare a list of all persons whose rice has been certified or is pending certification. This list shall be filed with the commission and shall be available for public inspection.

(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any producer or handler of rice sold as a certified rice and any organization certifying rice for the commission shall immediately make available for inspection by, and shall within 72 hours of a request provide to, the commission a copy of any record required to be kept under this chapter. Records acquired pursuant to this section and any information marked trade secret or confidential acquired by the commission in carrying out its duties under this chapter shall not be public records as that term is defined in Section 6252 of the Government Code and shall not be subject to Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 6250) of the Government Code.
  (b) The commission shall not be required to obtain records not in its possession in response to a subpoena. Prior to releasing records required to be kept pursuant to this chapter in response to a subpoena, the commission shall delete any financial information about any operation or transaction, information regarding the identity of suppliers or customers, the quantity or price of supplies purchased or products sold and any information marked trade secret or confidential.
  (c) Except for those records subject to public inspection pursuant to Sections 55071 and 55074, this section shall be the exclusive means of public access to records required to be kept or obtained by the commission pursuant to this chapter.

Upon receipt of a petition from any person providing adequate evidence of good cause to do so, the commission may declare all rice produced within a specified area to be certified as to any attribute. If the commission makes this declaration, all rice produced within the area shall be deemed certified, and may be labeled as provided in Section 55082 if the rice is handled to preserve its identity.