§7470 Referenda

Summary

Before a kiwifruit order can start, the Secretary must hold a vote of the producers and importers who would have to pay the assessments. The vote must take place in the 60-day period before the order’s proposed start. The order can only go into effect if a majority of those voting approve it and those who approve account for more than 50 percent of the total kiwifruit volume produced and imported by people who voted. The Secretary can also hold votes later to decide whether to continue, stop, or pause an active order. A vote must happen at the end of each 6-year period, if the Board asks, or if at least 30 percent of the assessed producers and importers petition for it. If a majority of voters favor suspension or ending and they represent more than 50 percent of the volume, the Secretary must suspend or end the order at the end of the marketing year. Ballots and any information that would reveal how someone voted must be kept confidential.