Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2009/10/05/E9-23831/cotton-research-and-promotion-program-referendum-procedures
Timestamp: 2015-05-28 17:56:48
Document Index: 622774909

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 1205', 'art 1320', 'art 1205', '§ 1205', '§ 1205', '§ 1205', '§ 1205', '§ 1205', '§ 1205', '§ 1205', '§ 1205', '§ 1205', '§ 1205', '§ 1205', '§ 1205']

Federal Register | Cotton Research and Promotion Program: Referendum Procedures
Publication Date: Monday, October 05, 2009
74 FR 51069
-51073 (5 pages)
Doc. AMS-CN-09-0027
Shorter URL: https://federalregister.gov/a/E9-23831 Related Topics
This final rule establishes procedures which the Department of Agriculture (USDA) will use in conducting a referendum considering amendments to the Cotton Research and Promotion Order (7 CFR part 1205) (Order) implementing section 14202 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008, hereinafter the “2008 Farm Bill.” USDA is considering amendments to the Order in a separate action. Referenda among cotton producers and cotton importers are required by the Cotton Research and Promotion Act (Act) to implement, amend, continue, or when appropriate to suspend or terminate the Order or any of its provisions. The provisions of this rule would be used for all such referenda.
Shethir M. Riva, Chief, Research and Promotion Staff, Cotton and Tobacco Programs, AMS, USDA, Stop 0224, 1400 Independence Ave., SW., Room 2637-S, Washington, DC 20250-0224, telephone (202) 720-6603, facsimile (202) 690-1718, or e-mail at shethir.riva@ams.usda.gov. A copy of this final rule may also be found at: http://www.regulations.gov.
This final rule has been reviewed under Executive Order 12988, Civil Justice Reform. It is not intended to have retroactive effect. This final rule would not preempt any state or local laws, regulations, or policies, unless they present an irreconcilable conflict with this rule. The Act provides that administrative proceedings must be exhausted before parties may file suit in court. Under section 12 of the Act, any person subject to an order may file with the Secretary of Agriculture (Secretary) a petition stating that the order, any provision of the plan, or any obligation imposed in connection with the order is not in accordance with law and requesting a modification of the order or to be exempted therefrom. Such person is afforded the opportunity for a hearing on the petition. After the hearing, the Secretary would rule on the petition. The Act provides that the District Court of the United States in any district in which the person is an inhabitant, or has his principal place of business, has jurisdiction to review the Secretary's ruling, provided a complaint is filed within 20 days from the date of the entry of ruling.
This final rule establishes the procedures under which cotton producers and importers vote on whether to implement, amend, continue, or when appropriate to suspend or terminate the Order or any of its provisions. This rule would add a new subpart and establish procedures for all such referenda. The subpart covers definitions, voting, instructions, ballots, the referendum report, and confidentiality of information.
Voting in a referendum is optional; however, if cotton producers and importers choose to vote, the burden of voting is minimal and necessary to determine whether or not they favor the action to be taken with regards to the Order or any of its provisions.
In accordance with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulation 5 CFR part 1320 that implements the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35) the information collection requirements concerning procedures to conduct referenda in connection with the Cotton Research and Promotion Order has been previously approved by OMB and assigned OMB Control Number 0581-0093.
This final rule would establish procedures which the USDA will use in conducting referenda under the Act. USDA is proposing amendments to the Order to implement section 14202 of the 2008 Farm Bill (see Secretary's Decision published in the same issue of the Federal Register). Referendum procedures would need to be in place prior for the industry to vote and consider these amendments. Referenda among cotton producers and cotton importers are required by the Act to implement, amend, continue, or when appropriate, to suspend, or to terminate the Order or any of its provisions.
A proposed rule with a request for comments was published in the Federal Register on June 4, 2009 (74 FR 26810), with a 10-day comment period. AMS received two comments, one from a cotton growers association and one from a national cotton industry organization. Both comments were in general agreement of the proposed referendum procedures and offered the same suggested changes to the sections 1205.202 and 1205.203.
The commenters recommended correction of duplicative language in section 1205.202 and a reversal of paragraph titles in section 1205.203(a) and (b). Both of these changes have merit and the appropriate changes are made in this action.
The commenters also offered changes for section 1205.203(a) to clarify language concerning eligibility requirements, especially those concerning the specified timeframe needed to import Upland cotton in order for an importer to be eligible to vote in a referendum. The commenters believed that the proposed language was not complete and offered two alternatives to revise the provision. Proposed section 1205.203(a) provided general eligibility requirements that (1) each person who was engaged in the production of Upland cotton during the representative period; and (2) each person who is an importer of Upland cotton and imported Upland cotton during the representative period were eligible to vote. Upon review of this language, these comments have merit. We have revised the provision to include the more appropriate language presented in order to make clear the applicable general eligibility requirements. Finally, the commenters noted that the definition of importer was not limited by a designated period. We are amending for clarity the definition of importer to include the appropriate timeframe.
In addition, USDA has included a clarifying change to the language of section 1205.204 concerning producers who grow Upland cotton in more than one county and identification of their voting office.
Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553, it is found and determined good cause that good cause exists for not postponing the effective date of the rule until 30 days after publication in the Federal Register in order to conduct a referendum considering amendments implementing section 14202 of the 2008 Farm Bill (Pub. L. 110-246) and to conform to the timeline contained in that section as closely as possible.
2.Part 1205 is amended by adding a new Subpart, consisting of §§ 1205.200 through 1205.210, to read as follows: Sec.
1205.200 General.
1205.201 Definitions.
1205.202 Agencies through which a referendum shall be conducted.
1205.203 Voting eligibility.
1205.204 Voting.
1205.205 Canvass of ballots.
1205.206 Reporting results of referendum.
1205.207 Challenge of correctness of county summary of ballots.
1205.208 Disposition of ballots and records.
1205.209 Confidential Information.
1205.210 Additional instructions and forms.
Subpart—Referendum Procedures Back to Top
§ 1205.200 General.
§ 1205.201 Definitions.
(a) Act means the Cotton Research and Promotion Act, as amended (7 U.S.C. 2101-2118; 89, as amended).
§ 1205.202 Agencies through which a referendum shall be conducted.
§ 1205.203 Voting eligibility.
(b) Special eligibility requirements. (1)(i) A person may qualify as an eligible voter by meeting the eligibility requirements, but no such person shall be entitled to more than one vote regardless of the number of importing entities or Upland cotton farms in which the person is interested or the number of communities, counties, or States in which are located farms in which such person is interested: Provided, however, That the individual members of a qualified partnership shall each have one vote, but the partnership as such shall not have a vote and an individual who qualifies as an eligible voter by reason of that individual's separate farming or importing operations will be entitled to one vote even though that person is interested in an entity such as (but not limited to) a corporation which is also eligible as a voter and entitled to one vote. A person who, as a guardian, administrator, executor, or trustee engages in the production of Upland cotton or importation of cotton will be eligible to vote in such a fiduciary capacity if, in such a capacity, that person qualifies as an eligible voter. (ii) In such cases the person for whom he or she is acting in a fiduciary capacity will not be eligible to vote. An individual may, if otherwise eligible, cast a ballot in his or her individual capacity although that person may also cast a ballot as a guardian, administrator, executor, or trustee. An individual who holds more than one fiduciary position may vote as a fiduciary in each case in which that person is otherwise eligible, as for example, if an individual is administrator of estate X, he or she may cast a ballot as administrator of estate X, and if the same individual is administrator of estate Y, he or she may cast another ballot as administrator or estate Y.
§ 1205.204 Voting.
§ 1205.205 Canvass of ballots.
§ 1205.206 Reporting results of referendum.
§ 1205.207 Challenge of correctness of county summary of ballots.
§ 1205.208 Disposition of ballots and records.
§ 1205.209 Confidential information.
§ 1205.210 Additional instructions and forms.
[FR Doc. E9-23831 Filed 10-2-09; 8:45 am]