California Rice Commission: board membership: referendum.

Existing law creates the California Rice Commission with a prescribed membership and authorizes the commission, among other things, to promote the sale of rice, educate and instruct the wholesale and retail trade with respect to proper methods of handling and selling rice, and conduct scientific research. This bill would, before the beginning of each marketing season, authorize the commission to review drought conditions in the state and evaluate the impact of these conditions on the production and handling of rice. If the commission determines that the drought conditions had a detrimental impact upon the production and handling of rice, the bill would authorize the commission to issue a declaration that would require certain requirements pertaining to board membership, including expanded eligibility to serve on the commission, to be operative for the following marketing season, as specified. Existing law requires the Secretary of Food and Agriculture to conduct a referendum every 5 years among handlers and producers to determine whether to continue the operations of the commission. This bill would provide that, if the commission issues the drought declaration, a person who is eligible to serve on the commission as a handler member or a producer member under the expanded eligibility requirements is also eligible to vote in this referendum. This bill would also make conforming and nonsubstantive changes. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.