(a) Upon a finding by a two-thirds vote of the membership of the commission that the operation of this chapter has not tended to effectuate its declared purposes, the commission may recommend to the secretary that the operation of this chapter be suspended. However, any suspension shall not become effective until the expiration of the current marketing season.

(b) The secretary shall, upon receipt of the recommendation, or may, after a public hearing to review a petition filed with him or her requesting a suspension signed by 20 percent of the producers and handlers by number who sold or handled not less than 20 percent of the total quantity of tomatoes in the immediately preceding marketing season, hold a referendum among the producers and handlers to determine if the operations of the commission shall be suspended. However, the secretary 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 tended to effectuate its declared purposes.

(c) The secretary shall establish a referendum period, which shall not be less than 10 days or more than 60 days in duration. The secretary may prescribe additional procedures as may be necessary to conduct the referendum. At the close of the established referendum period, the secretary shall tabulate the ballots filed during the period. If at least 40 percent of the total number of producers and handlers from the list established by the secretary participate in the referendum, the secretary shall suspend the operation of this chapter if he or she finds either one of the following has occurred:

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

(2) A majority of the producers and handlers who voted in the referendum voted in favor of suspension, and the producers and handlers so voting sold or handled 65 percent or more of the total quantity of tomatoes in the preceding marketing season by all of the producers and handlers who voted in the referendum.

(Added by Stats. 1995, Ch. 210, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 1996.)