Section 77499 Of Article 8. Continuation Or Suspension And Termination From California Food And Agricultural Code >> Division 22. >> Part 2. >> Chapter 17.5. >> Article 8.
77499
. (a) Upon a finding by a two-thirds vote of the commission
that the operation of this chapter has not tended to effectuate its
declared purposes, the commission may recommend to the director that
the commission be suspended. Any suspension shall not become
effective until the expiration of the current marketing season.
(b) The director shall, upon receipt of a recommendation, or may,
after a public hearing to review a petition filed with him or her
requesting such suspension, signed by 15 percent of the producers,
processors, or shippers by number who produced, processed, or shipped
not less than 15 percent of the volume in the immediately preceding
season, cause a referendum to be conducted among the listed
producers, processors, and shippers to determine if the operations of
the commission shall be suspended. However, the director shall not
hold a referendum as a result of the petition unless the petitioner
shows by the weight of evidence that this chapter has not effectuated
its declared purposes.
(c) The director shall establish a referendum period, which shall
not be less than 10 or more than 60 days in duration. The director
may prescribe additional procedures necessary to conduct the
referendum. At the close of the established referendum period, the
director shall tabulate the ballots filed during the period. If at
least 40 percent of the total number of producers, processors, and
shippers from the list established by the director participate in the
referendum, the director shall suspend the operation of this
chapter, if the director finds either one of the following:
(1) Sixty-five percent or more of the producers, processors, and
shippers who voted in the referendum voted in favor of suspension,
and the producers, processors, and shippers so voting marketed a
majority of the total quantity of strawberries marketed in the
preceding marketing season by all of the producers, processors, and
shippers who voted in the referendum.
(2) That a majority of the producers, processors, and shippers who
voted in the referendum voted in favor of suspension, and that the
producers, processors, and shippers so voting marketed 65 percent or
more of the total quantity of strawberries marketed in the preceding
season by all of the producers, processors, and shippers who voted in
the referendum.