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. However, the suspension shall not become effective until the expiration of the current marketing season.

The director shall, upon receipt of this recommendation, or may, after a public hearing to review a petition filed with him or her requesting the suspension, signed by 15 percent of the producers by number who produced not less than 15 percent of the volume in the immediately preceding marketing season, conduct a referendum among the producers to determine if the operation of the commission shall be suspended.

The director shall establish a referendum period, which shall not be less than 10 or more than 60 days in duration. The director may prescribe additional procedures as may be necessary to conduct the referendum. At the close of the established referendum period, the director shall tabulate the ballots filed during the period.

If at least 40 percent of the total number of producers from the list established by the director participated in the referendum, the director shall continue the operation of this chapter, if he or she finds either one of the following:

(a) Sixty-five percent or more of the producers who voted in the referendum voted in favor of continuation, and the producers so voting marketed a majority or more of the volume of navel oranges marketed in the preceding marketing season by all of the producers who voted in the referendum.

(b) A majority of the producers who voted in the referendum voted in favor of continuation, and the producers so voting marketed 65 percent or more of the volume of navel oranges marketed in the preceding season by all of the producers who voted in the referendum.

(Added by Stats. 1983, Ch. 494, Sec. 1. Effective July 28, 1983.)