(a) Upon petition of at least three producers from any one producer region of this state, the secretary shall establish a list of producers who are eligible to vote in a referendum to establish a local commission in that producer region. In establishing the list, the secretary may require the producers signing the petition and producers, vintners, county agricultural commissioners, and others to submit the names and mailing addresses of all producers in that producer region. The secretary also may require that the information provided include the quantity of winegrapes sold to vintners and the quantity of winegrapes processed by vintners from that producer region and the names and addresses of the vintners, or, in the alternative, may establish procedures for receiving the information at the time of the referendum. The request for this information shall be in writing. The information required by the secretary shall be filed within 30 days following receipt of the written notice.

(b) Any producer whose name does not appear on the secretary’s list may have his or her name included on the appropriate list by filing with the secretary a signed statement identifying himself or herself as a producer of a given producer region. Failure to be on the appropriate list does not exempt any producer from paying assessments under this chapter.

(c) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, the petition may designate producers exempt from this chapter, but no producer shall be exempt who has produced and marketed more than 25 tons of winegrapes in the preceding marketing season.

(Amended by Stats. 1995, Ch. 727, Sec. 67. Effective January 1, 1996.)