Article 3. The California Walnut Commission of California Food And Agricultural Code >> Division 22. >> Part 2. >> Chapter 16.5. >> Article 3.

(a) There is in state government the California Walnut Commission. The commission shall be composed of eight walnut producers who are not handlers, four walnut handlers, and one public member.
  (b) Eight producer members, four from each district, shall be elected by producers. In accordance with procedures adopted by the commission, no more than two producers from each district who ship the largest percentage of their walnuts in the preceding marketing year to the same handler may be elected to the commission as members. Producers who ship to two or more handlers in equal percentages shall declare which handler they are affiliated with, for purposes of this section. No producer member shall be connected in a proprietary capacity with a handler.
  (c) In accordance with procedures adopted by the commission, four handler members shall be elected on a weighted basis by all handlers to serve on the commission. No handler member shall be connected in a proprietary capacity or in any other manner with any other handler member serving on the commission.
  (d) The public member shall be appointed to the commission by the secretary from nominees recommended by the commission.
  (e) The secretary and other appropriate individuals as determined by the commission shall be ex officio members of the commission.

(a) The secretary may require the commission to correct or cease any existing activity or function that is determined by the secretary not to be in the public interest or that is in violation of this chapter.
  (b) If the commission refuses or fails to cease these activities or functions or to make corrections required by the secretary, the secretary 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 secretary has been accomplished by the commission.
  (c) Actions of the commission in violation of the written notice are without legal force or effect. The secretary, 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 that are the subject of the written notice.
  (d) Upon service of the written notice, the secretary shall notify the commission in writing of the specific acts that the secretary determines are not in the public interest or are in violation of this chapter and the secretary's reasons for requiring a cessation or correction of specific existing or proposed activities or functions. The secretary may make recommendations that will make the activities or functions acceptable.

The commission or the secretary may bring an action for judicial relief from the secretary's written notice, or from 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 applicable relief.

When the secretary is required to concur in a decision of the commission, the secretary shall concur, refuse to concur, or request additional information from the commission within 15 working days from notification of the decision.

The commission shall reimburse the secretary for all expenditures incurred by the secretary in carrying out his or her duties and responsibilities pursuant to this chapter. However, a court may, if it finds that the secretary acted arbitrarily or capriciously in restricting the activities or functions of the commission, relieve the commission of the responsibility for payment of the secretary'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 for whom he or she is an alternate, serve in place of the member on the commission and shall have and be able to exercise all the rights, privileges, and powers of the member when serving on the commission. In the event of a change in status making him or her ineligible to serve, or due to death, removal, resignation, or disqualification of a member, the alternate member shall act as a member on the commission until a qualified successor is elected or appointed.

Any vacancy on the commission occurring by the failure of any person elected to the commission as a producer member or alternate producer member to continue in his or her position due to a change in status making him or her ineligible to serve, or due to death, removal, or resignation, shall be filled for the unexpired portion of the term by a majority vote of the remaining producer members of the commission. Any person filling a vacant producer member or alternate producer member position shall meet all the qualifications set forth in this article as required for the member whose office he or she is to fill.

Any vacancy on the commission occurring by the failure of any person elected to the commission as a handler member or alternate handler member to continue in his or her position due to a change in status making him or her ineligible to serve, or due to death, removal, or resignation, shall be filled for the unexpired portion of the term by a majority vote of the remaining handler members of the commission. Any person filling a vacant handler member or alternate handler member position shall meet all the qualifications set forth in this article as required for the member whose office he or she is to fill.

Any vacancy on the commission occurring by the failure of the public member or alternate member to continue in his or her position due to a change in status making him or her ineligible to serve, or due to death, removal, or resignation, shall be filled for the unexpired portion of the term by the secretary from nominees recommended by the commission. That person shall meet all the qualifications set forth in this article as required for the member whose office he or she is to fill.

Any producer member and his or her alternate member on the commission shall be an individual or an employee representing a producer who has a financial interest in producing, or causing to be produced, walnuts for market. The qualifications of producer members and their alternate members shall be maintained during the entire term of office.

Any handler member and his or her alternate member on the commission shall have a financial interest in handling walnuts for market.

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

For the 2006 marketing year, the term of office of all members of the commission, except ex officio members, shall be from the beginning of the marketing year that commences in the year of their election and until qualified successors are elected for the 2009 marketing year. Thereafter, the term of office of all members of the commission, except ex officio members, shall be two years from the beginning of the marketing year in which they are elected and until qualified successors are elected. The same selection procedure shall apply to handler members. Terms of office of each member and alternate member of the commission shall be limited to four consecutive two-year terms.

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 prima facie evidence of the truth of all statements herein.

A quorum of the commission shall be eight voting members of the commission. Except as provided in Section 77027, a vote in favor of a motion by nine members present at a meeting shall constitute the act of the commission.

The secretary or his or her representatives shall be notified and may attend each meeting of the commission and any committee meeting of the commission.

No member of the commission or of any committee established by the commission that may include nonmembers of the commission shall receive a salary. Except for ex officio government members, the members may receive an amount not to exceed reasonable and necessary traveling expenses and meal allowances, as established by the commission, 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.

All funds received by any person from the assessments levied pursuant 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 for that purpose. 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 the amount of not less than twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000).

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. No member of the commission, alternate member, or any employee or agent thereof, is personally liable for the contracts of the commission. No member of the commission, alternate member, or any employee or agent thereof, is responsible individually in any way to any producer, processor, handler, or any other person for errors in judgment, mistakes, or other acts, either of commission or omission, as principal, agent or employee, except for his or her own individual acts of dishonesty or crime. No member of the commission, alternate member, or any employee or agent thereof, is responsible individually for any act or omission of any other member of the commission, alternate member, or any employee or agent thereof. Liability is several and not joint, and no member of the commission, alternate member, or any employee or agent thereof, is liable for the default of any other member of the commission, alternate member, or any employee or agent thereof.