Section 75653 Of Article 8. Continuation Or Suspension And Termination From California Food And Agricultural Code >> Division 22. >> Part 2. >> Chapter 13.5. >> Article 8.
75653
. (a) Upon a finding by a two-thirds vote of the membership of
the commission that the operation of this chapter has not tended to
effectuate its declared purposes, the commission may recommend to the
secretary that the operation of this chapter be suspended. However,
any suspension shall not become effective until the expiration of the
current marketing year.
(b) The secretary shall, upon receipt of the recommendation, or
may, after a public hearing to review a petition filed with the
secretary requesting a suspension signed by not less than 20 percent
of the eligible producers by number who produced not less than 20
percent of the total volume of apples in the immediately preceding
marketing year, hold a referendum to determine if the operations of
the commission shall be suspended. However, the secretary shall not
hold a referendum as a result of the petition unless the petitioner
shows, by a preponderance of evidence, in a manner prescribed by the
secretary, that the operation of this chapter has not tended to
effectuate its declared purposes.
(c) The secretary shall establish a referendum period, which shall
not be less than 10 days or more than 60 days in duration. The
secretary may prescribe additional procedures as may be necessary to
conduct the referendum. At the close of the established referendum
period, the secretary shall tabulate the ballots filed during the
period. The secretary shall suspend the operation of this chapter if
the secretary finds that at least 40 percent of the total number of
persons from the list established by the secretary have participated
in the referendum and that either one of the following has occurred:
(1) Sixty-five percent or more of the eligible producers who voted
in the referendum voted in favor of suspension, and the eligible
producers so voting produced and marketed a majority of the total
quantity of apples in the preceding marketing year by all of the
eligible producers who voted in the referendum.
(2) A majority of the eligible producers who voted in the
referendum voted in favor of suspension, and the eligible producers
so voting produced and marketed 65 percent or more of the total
quantity of apples in the preceding marketing year by all of the
eligible producers who voted in the referendum.