§4613 Implementation of amendments made by Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998

Summary

The Secretary must create and publish an updated order that reflects the 1998 changes. Within 90 days after June 23, 1998, the Secretary must publish a proposed order and allow public comment. Within 240 days after that publication, the Secretary must issue a final order that takes comments into account and matches the 1998 changes. When the final order is issued, the Secretary must hold a single referendum to decide whether the whole amended order becomes effective. No single part of the order gets its own vote. People who may vote are producers, producer-packers, importers, or handlers who were active during the two calendar years before the referendum (the representative period). Producer-packers, importers, and handlers vote as if the amended order had been in effect during that period and as if they had paid the higher assessments. The amount of honey tied to each vote is set by the usual vote-counting rules. The amended order only becomes effective if it wins approval under those rules. If the amended order is rejected, the order that was in effect on June 23, 1998 stays in force. The Secretary can still try other changes using the normal procedures, but any change that needs a referendum must be approved the regular way before it takes effect. If the amended order is approved, other required referendums cannot be held until five years after this referendum.