Article 3. Winegrowers Of California Commission of California Food And Agricultural Code >> Division 22. >> Part 2. >> Chapter 12. >> Article 3.

There is in state government, the Winegrowers of California Commission. The commission shall be composed of 18 producers, 18 vintners, and may include one public member.
  (a) Producers within District 7 shall elect one producer member; producers within Districts 2, 3, 4, and 6 shall each elect two producer members; producers within District 5 shall elect four producer members; and producers within District 1 shall elect five producer members to serve on the commission. Alternate producer members shall be elected in the same manner. Each producer member and alternate producer member shall be elected from the district in which he or she produces the greatest portion of his or her winegrape tonnage.
  (b) Vintner members shall be elected by the industry at large and serve on the commission without reference to any county, district, or area of the state.
  (c) The public member may be appointed to the commission by the director from nominees recommended by the commission.
  (d) The director, and other appropriate individuals as determined by the commission, shall be ex officio members of the commission.

Periodically, the number of producer members and their respective alternate members serving on the commission from any district shall be reapportioned in a manner that assures representation in accordance with the value of winegrapes produced in each district. However, no district shall have less than one member nor more than five members on the commission.

(a) The director may require the commission to correct or cease any existing activity or function which is determined by the director not to be in the public interest or which is in violation of this chapter.
  (b) If the commission refuses or fails to cease these activities or functions or to make these corrections as required by the director, the director may, upon written notice, suspend all or a portion of the activities or functions of the commission until the time that the cessation or correction of activities or functions as required by the director has been accomplished by the commission.
  (c) Actions of the commission in violation of the written notice are without legal force or effect. The director, to the extent feasible, shall issue the written notice prior to the commission entering into any contractual relationship affecting the existing or proposed activities or functions which are the subject of the written notice.
  (d) Upon service of the written notice, the director shall notify the commission in writing of the specific acts which he or she determines are not in the public interest or are in violation of this chapter, the reasons for requiring a cessation or correction of specific existing or proposed activities or functions, and may make recommendations that will make the activities or functions acceptable.

The commission or the director may bring an action for judicial relief from the director's written notice or for noncompliance by the commission with the written notice, as the case may be, in a court of competent jurisdiction which may issue a temporary restraining order, permanent injunction, or other appropriate relief.

When the director is required to concur in a decision of the commission, he or she shall indicate his or her response to the commission within 15 working days from notification of the decision. The response may be a request that additional information be provided.

The commission shall reimburse the director for all expenditures incurred by the director in carrying out his or her duties and responsibilities pursuant to this chapter. However, the court may, if it finds that the director acted arbitrarily or capriciously in restricting the activities or functions of the commission, relieve the commission of the responsibility for payment of the director's legal costs with regard to that action.

Each member of the commission, except the ex officio members, shall have an alternate member to be elected in the same manner as the member. An alternate member shall, in the absence of the member of whom he or she is an alternate, serve in place of the member on the commission and have and be able to exercise all the rights, privileges, and powers of the member when serving on the commission. In the event of death, removal, resignation, or disqualification of a member, the alternate shall serve as a member on the commission until a successor is elected and has qualified.

Any producer member and his or her alternate member shall be a person, or an employee representing a producer, who has a financial interest in producing, or causing to be produced, winegrapes for market. The qualifications of producer members and alternate members shall be maintained during the entire term of office. No more than one member and his or her alternate members shall be employed by or connected in a proprietary capacity with the same producer. However, producer membership in an agricultural nonprofit cooperative association or trade organization shall not be considered employment or being in a proprietary capacity.

Any vintner member and his or her alternate member shall be a person, or an employee representing a vintner, who has a financial interest in processing winegrapes for market. The qualifications of vintner members and alternate members shall be maintained during the entire term of office. No more than one member and his or her alternate member shall be employed by or connected in a proprietary capacity with the same vintner. However, vintner membership in an agricultural nonprofit cooperative association or trade organization shall not be considered employment or being in a proprietary capacity.

The public member and his or her alternate member shall have all the rights, privileges, and powers of any other member of the commission. The public member shall not have any financial interest in the wine or winegrape industry.

The term of office of members and alternate members shall be for two years or until their successors have been elected and have qualified. However, of the first members of the commission, one-half of the vintner members and their alternate members shall serve for one year; one-half of the producer members and their alternate members and one-half of the vintner members and their alternate members shall serve for two years. The determination of the term of each member shall be made by lot. No member or alternate member shall serve more than four consecutive terms.

No less than 10 producer members and 10 vintner members, including alternate members when acting in place of the members, shall constitute a quorum of the commission.

The vote of a majority of the members, or alternate members when acting in the place of the members, present at the meeting at which there is a quorum shall constitute the act of the commission. However, for an affirmative vote to be valid, it shall include not less than five producer members and five vintner members.

The commission shall be and is hereby declared and created a corporate body. It shall have the power to sue and be sued, to contract and be contracted with, and to have and possess all of the powers of a corporation. It may adopt a corporate seal. Copies of its proceedings, records, and acts, when authenticated, shall be admissible in evidence in all courts of the state and shall be prima facie evidence of the truth of all statements therein.

The director or his or her representatives shall be notified and may attend meetings of the commission and any committee meetings of the commission.

No member of the commission or member of a committee established by the commission who is a nonmember of the commission shall receive a salary. Each member of the commission, except ex officio government members, and each member of a committee established by the commission who is a nonmember of the commission, may receive an amount not to exceed one hundred dollars ($100) per day, as established by the commission. This amount shall be paid for each day spent in actual attendance at, or in traveling to and from, meetings of the commission or committees of the commission, or on special assignment for the commission, as approved by the commission. Members shall also receive necessary traveling expenses and meal allowances, as approved by the commission.

All funds received from the assessments levied pursuant to this chapter or otherwise received by the commission shall be deposited in banks which the commission may designate and shall be disbursed by order of the commission through an agent or agents as it may designate. The agent or agents shall be bonded by a fidelity bond, executed by a surety company authorized to transact business in this state, in favor of the commission, in an amount of not less than twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000).

(a) The state is not liable for the acts of the commission or its contracts. Payments of all claims arising by reason of the administration of this chapter or acts of the commission are limited to the funds collected by the commission.
  (b) No member, alternate member, or any employee or agent of the commission, is personally liable for the contracts of the commission or for errors in judgment, mistakes or other acts, either of commission or omission, except for their own individual acts of dishonesty or crime. Liability is several and not joint, and no member, alternate member, or any employee or agent of the commission is liable individually for the default, act, or omission of any other member, alternate member, or any employee or agent of the commission.