(a) 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 commission be suspended. Any suspension shall not become effective until the expiration of the current marketing season.

(b) The director shall, upon receipt of a recommendation, or may, after a public hearing to review a petition filed with him or her requesting such suspension, signed by 15 percent of the producers, processors, or shippers by number who produced, processed, or shipped not less than 15 percent of the volume in the immediately preceding season, cause a referendum to be conducted among the listed producers, processors, and shippers to determine if the operations of the commission shall be suspended. However, the director shall not hold a referendum as a result of the petition unless the petitioner shows by the weight of evidence that this chapter has not effectuated its declared purposes.

(c) 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 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, processors, and shippers from the list established by the director participate in the referendum, the director shall suspend the operation of this chapter, if the director finds either one of the following:

(1) Sixty-five percent or more of the producers, processors, and shippers who voted in the referendum voted in favor of suspension, and the producers, processors, and shippers so voting marketed a majority of the total quantity of strawberries marketed in the preceding marketing season by all of the producers, processors, and shippers who voted in the referendum.

(2) That a majority of the producers, processors, and shippers who voted in the referendum voted in favor of suspension, and that the producers, processors, and shippers so voting marketed 65 percent or more of the total quantity of strawberries marketed in the preceding season by all of the producers, processors, and shippers who voted in the referendum.

(Added by renumbering Section 77503 (as added by Stats. 1993, Ch. 805) by Stats. 1994, Ch. 146, Sec. 60. Effective January 1, 1995.)