Section 79893 Of Article 8. Continuation Or Suspension And Termination From California Food And Agricultural Code >> Division 22. >> Part 2. >> Chapter 29. >> Article 8.
79893
. (a) Upon a finding by a two-thirds vote of the commission
board of directors that the operation of this chapter has not tended
to effectuate its declared purposes, the commission may recommend to
the secretary that the commission be suspended. Any suspension shall
not become effective until expiration of the current marketing
season.
(b) (1) The secretary shall, upon receipt of a recommendation, or
may, after a public hearing to review a petition described in
paragraph (2) requesting the suspension, cause a referendum to be
conducted among the listed producers to determine if the operations
of the commission shall be suspended. The secretary shall not hold a
referendum as a result of a petition described in paragraph (2)
unless the petitioner shows by the weight of evidence that the
implementation of this chapter has not effectuated its declared
purposes.
(2) A petition filed requesting suspension of the commission shall
be signed by at least 15 percent of the producers, by number, who
also produce at least 15 percent of the total volume of olives
marketed in the preceding marketing season.
(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 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 at least 40 percent of the total number of producers
from the list established by the secretary participate, and that
either of the following occurs:
(1) Sixty-five percent of the producers that voted in the
referendum voted in favor of suspension, and the producers so voting
produced a majority of the total quantity of olives processed into
olive oil in the preceding marketing season by all of the producers
voting in the referendum.
(2) A majority of the producers that voted in the referendum voted
in favor of suspension, and the producers so voting produced 65
percent or more of the total quantity of olives processed into olive
oil in the preceding marketing season by all of the producers voting
in the referendum.