(a) Expenditure of the funds pursuant to this article shall be restricted to the following:

(1) Reasonable administrative expenses of the board and the department, subject to the limitation in Section 6047.12.

(2) The collection, enforcement, deposit, and handling of the assessments.

(3) Notwithstanding Section 6047.12, costs to conduct a referendum.

(4) Subject to subdivision (d) of Section 6047.1, research and other activities related to the transmittal of the plant killing Pierce’s disease bacterium and its vectors, particularly the glassy-winged sharpshooter, including, but not limited to, research of integrated pest management and other sustainable industry practices. The disbursement of research funds collected pursuant to Section 6047.7 shall be on a competitive bid basis, shall be exempt from the requirements of Sections 12798 and 12798.6, and may be encumbered with existing resources beyond the termination date of this statute.

(b) Except as provided in subdivision (c), data and related information and materials produced during the course of research conducted pursuant to this article that are in the possession of the department, the board, or any entity engaged in research funded pursuant to this article, shall be confidential and shall not be released for any purpose, except to the extent that they are included in any final publication of research, or except when required by a court order after a hearing in a judicial proceeding involving this article.

(c) The restrictions in this section shall not apply to research conducted by the University of California or by other public agencies or public institutions that are subject to interagency agreements, except to the extent that they are consistent with policies of the entity engaged in research funded pursuant to this article on sponsored research and publication, which may allow for, among other things, a short period of review by the board in advance of publication.

(d) Processors subject to this article and expenditure of the funds collected pursuant to this article are subject to audit by the department.

(Amended by Stats. 2004, Ch. 485, Sec. 6. Effective September 10, 2004. Conditionally inoperative on March 1, 2021, as provided in Sections 6047.20 and 6047.27. Repealed as of March 1, 2026, pursuant to Section 6047.19.)