(a) Any commission or council may petition the secretary to adopt and administer any activity authorized pursuant to the California Marketing Act of 1937 (Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 58601) of Part 2 of Division 21) relating to the commodity that is covered by any commission or council. Adoption and administration of the activity by any commission or council shall be in accordance with the act.

(b) Any commission or council may petition the secretary to administer any activity that the commission or council is authorized to engage in, and that is authorized pursuant to the California Marketing Act of 1937 (Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 58601) of Part 2 of Division 21), relating to the commodity that is covered by any commission or council. If the secretary accepts the petition, the commission or council shall reimburse the secretary for his or her actual cost for administering the activity. The secretary may waive referendum under the act if, following a hearing, the secretary determines that there is no substantial question of opposition to doing so among affected assessment payers. Administration of the activity by the secretary shall be in accordance with the act.

(c) As determined by the secretary, the governing body of the commission or council may serve as the advisory board with respect to any activity recommended and approved pursuant to this section.

(d) As used in this section, “substantial question of opposition” means opposition to the substance of the petition among currently affected assessment payers, and is not intended to mean a particular number of assessment payers.

(Amended by Stats. 2006, Ch. 844, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2007.)