Title FAC — California Food & Agric. Code

The commission may publish and distribute, without charge, a bulletin or other communication for dissemination of information to producers, shippers, grower-handlers, and processors.

The commission may establish an assessment rate to defray operating costs of the commission.

The commission may establish an annual budget according to accepted accounting practices. The budget shall be concurred in by the director prior to disbursement of funds, except for disbursements made pursuant to Section 76086.

The commission shall submit to the director, for his or her concurrence, an annual statement of contemplated activities authorized under this chapter.

The commission may manage, if requested by an advisory board, a board of directors, or any other authorized agent, any governmental program establishing grades and standards for the cherry industry.

The commission may investigate and prosecute civil violations of this chapter and file complaints with appropriate law enforcement agencies or officers for suspected criminal violations of this chapter.

(a) Within 90 days after a request by the proponents of the commission, or as soon thereafter as possible, the director shall establish a list of producers eligible to vote on implementation of this chapter. In establishing the list, the director may require that processors, ship…

This chapter, except as necessary to conduct an implementation referendum vote, shall not become operative until the director finds, in a referendum conducted by the director, that at least 40 percent of the total number of producers from the list established by the director purs…

(a) The director shall establish a period in which to conduct the referendum which shall not be less than 10 days nor more than 60 days in duration, and may prescribe additional procedures as may be necessary to conduct the referendum. (b) If the initial period established is les…

Nonreceipt of a ballot shall not invalidate a referendum.

If the director finds that a favorable vote has been given as provided in this article, he or she shall certify and declare this chapter operative and give notice of the favorable vote to all producers whose names and addresses are on file with the director.

If the director finds that a favorable vote has not been given as provided in this article, he or she shall so certify and declare that this chapter is not operative. The director may conduct another implementation referendum vote one year or more after the previous vote has been…

Upon certification of the commission, the director shall contact, by mail, every producer and grower-handler in each district and every shipper or shall call meetings of producers and grower-handlers in each district for the purpose of nominating and electing persons for appointm…

To be eligible for election to the commission, producer, grower-handler, and shipper nominees must present to the director a nomination petition with signatures of at least six eligible producers, grower-handlers, or shippers from the district from which the nominee is seeking el…

Subsequent to the first election of members of the commission pursuant to this chapter, persons to be elected to the commission shall be selected pursuant to the nomination and election procedures established by the commission with the concurrence of the director.

(a) Prior to the referendum vote conducted by the director pursuant to this article, the proponents of the commission shall deposit with the director any amounts that the director may deem necessary to defray the expenses of preparing the necessary lists and information and condu…

(a) The commission shall, not later than April 20 of each year, establish the assessment for the following marketing season, which shall not exceed fifteen cents ($0.15) per 18-pound container or its equivalent in volume in fresh shipping cherries, or three-tenths of one cent ($0…

This chapter does not apply to cherries produced for the producer’s home use, to cherries used only for ornamental purposes, or to cherries grown on land totaling one acre or less by a person who is not a producer for purposes of this chapter. However, a person subject to this se…

(a) Every processor, shipper, and grower-handler shall keep a complete and accurate record of all cherries processed, shipped, or grower handled by him or her, with the name of the producer whose cherries were processed, shipped, or handled. The records shall be in simple form an…

All proprietary information obtained by the commission or the director from producers, processors, shippers, or grower-handlers is confidential and shall not be disclosed except when required in a judicial proceeding. Information on volume shipments, crop value, and any other rel…

Assessments shall be upon the producer. The first shipper, grower-handler, or processor of cherries being assessed shall deduct the assessment from amounts paid by him or her to the producer, and shall be a trustee of the funds until they are paid to the commission at the time an…

Every processor, shipper, and grower-handler is personally liable for the payment of the collected assessments, and failure of the processor, shipper or grower-handler to collect the assessment from any producer shall not exempt any processor, shipper, or grower-handler from liab…

Any assessment which is levied as provided for in this chapter, is a personal debt of every producer so assessed. Failure of a processor, shipper, or grower-handler to collect the assessment does not relieve the producer of the obligation to pay the assessment.

Any producer, processor, shipper, or grower-handler who fails to file a return or pay any assessment within the time required by the commission shall pay to the commission a penalty of 10 percent of the amount of such assessment determined to be due and, in addition, one and one-…

It is unlawful to do any of the following: (a) Willfully render or furnish a false report, statement, or record required by the commission. (b) When engaged in the shipping, processing or handling of cherries, or in the wholesale or retail trade of cherries, to fail or refuse to …

The commission shall establish procedures for the purpose of according individuals aggrieved by its actions or determinations an informal hearing before the commission, or before a committee of the commission designated for this purpose. Appeals from decisions of the commission m…

(a) The commission may commence civil actions and utilize all remedies provided in law or equity for the collection of assessments and civil penalties, and for the obtaining of injunctive relief or specific performance, respecting this chapter and the rules and regulations adopte…

Except as otherwise specified in this article, the commission shall cause a referendum to be conducted among producers pursuant to Article 5 (commencing with Section 76111) every five years following implementation of this chapter to determine whether the operation of this chapte…

If a referendum is conducted as the result of a petition pursuant to Section 76183, it shall be conducted every fifth year following the industry petitioned referendum.

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 operation of this chapter be suspended. No suspension shall become effective until th…

(a) The director shall terminate the commission at the end of the current marketing season if requested in writing, within a 90-day period, by at least 51 percent of the eligible producers who are directly affected and who produce at least 51 percent of the volume of the product.…

After the effective date of suspension of the operation of this chapter, the operations of the commission shall be concluded and any and all moneys remaining held by the commission, collected by assessments and not required to defray the expenses of concluding and terminating ope…

Upon suspension of the operation of this chapter and of the commission, the commission shall mail a copy of the notice of suspension to all producers affected by the suspension whose names and addresses are on file.