Section 2-8-99. Amendments to marketing orders; notice; rules and regulations; termination of orders

   (a) (1) Upon the recommendation of not fewer than three of the appointive members of the commission, the Commissioner or the commission may make effective minor amendments to a marketing order. The Commissioner or the commission may require a public hearing upon minor amendments if in the Commissioner's or the commission's opinion the substance of such minor amendments so warrants.

   (2) In making effective major amendments to a marketing order, the Commissioner or the commission shall follow the same procedures prescribed in this article for the institution of a marketing order. For the purpose of this article, a major amendment to a marketing order shall include, but shall not be limited to, any amendment which adds to or deletes from any such marketing order any of the following types of regulations or authorizations:

      (A) Authority for the establishment of plans for advertising and sales promotion of Georgia grown products;

      (B) Authority to increase an assessment rate beyond the maximum rate authorized by the marketing order in effect;

      (C) Extension of the termination date of any marketing order; or

      (D) Authority for carrying out research studies in the production or distribution of Georgia grown products.

   (3) Modification of any provisions of any marketing order in effect, for the purpose of clarifying the meaning or application of such provisions or of modifying administrative procedures for carrying out such provisions, are declared not to be a major amendment of such marketing order.

(b) Upon the issuance of any order making effective a marketing order or any suspension, amendment, or termination thereof, a notice thereof shall be posted on a public bulletin board maintained at the Department of Agriculture; and a copy of such notice shall be published as the Commissioner or the commission may prescribe. No marketing order nor any suspension, amendment, or termination thereof shall become effective until the termination of a period of five days from the date of such posting and publication.

(c) The Commissioner or the commission shall have the power, consistent with this article and in accordance with marketing orders and amendments made effective under this article, to establish such general rules and regulations for uniform application to all marketing orders issued pursuant to this article as may be necessary to facilitate the administration and enforcement of such marketing orders. The provisions of subsection (b) of this Code section relative to posting, publication, and time of taking effect shall be applicable to any such general rule or regulation established pursuant to this subsection and applicable to marketing orders generally. Such notice shall be furnished by the Commissioner or the commission for each marketing order in active operation.

(d) Upon the recommendation of the commission, the Commissioner shall have the power, consistent with this article, to establish administrative rules and regulations for each marketing order issued and made effective as may be necessary to facilitate the supervision, administration, and enforcement of each such order. The provisions of subsection (b) of this Code section relative to posting, publication, mailing of notice, and time of taking effect shall be applicable to any such administrative rules and regulations.

(e) Unless extended as provided in this article, all marketing orders issued under the authority of this article shall terminate at the expiration of one year from the date of the issuance of the original marketing order or, if such marketing order has been extended, at the expiration of one year after the date of any such extension.

Code 1981, § 2-8-99, enacted by Ga. L. 2013, p. 74, § 1/HB 298.