Skip to content

Title 7 — Agriculture

Chapter 60 — Egg Research and Consumer Information

§ 2708. Referendum among egg producers

Statutory text

(a)

Producer approval of order

The Secretary shall conduct a referendum among egg producers not exempt hereunder who, during a representative period determined by the Secretary, have been engaged in the production of commercial eggs, for the purpose of ascertaining whether the issuance of an order is approved or favored by such producers. No order issued pursuant to this chapter shall be effective unless the Secretary determines that the issuance of such order is approved or favored by not less than two-thirds of the producers voting in such referendum, or by a majority of the producers voting in such referendum if such majority produced not less than two-thirds of the commercial eggs produced during a representative period defined by the Secretary.

(b)

Request by Egg Board for referendum

(1)

If the Egg Board determines, based on a scientific study, marketing analysis, or other similar competent evidence, that an increase in the assessment rate is needed to ensure that assessments under the order are set at an appropriate level to effectuate the policy declared in section 2701 of this title, the Egg Board may request that the Secretary conduct a referendum, as provided in paragraph (2).

(2)
(A)

If the Egg Board requests the Secretary to conduct a referendum under paragraph (1) or (3), the Secretary shall conduct a referendum among egg producers not exempt from this chapter who, during a representative period determined by the Secretary, have been engaged in the production of commercial eggs, for the purpose of ascertaining whether the producers approve the change in the assessment rate proposed by the Egg Board.

(B)

The change in the assessment rate shall become effective if the change is approved or favored by—

(i)

not less than two-thirds of the producers voting in the referendum; or

(ii)

a majority of the producers voting in the referendum, if the majority produced not less than two-thirds of all the commercial eggs produced by the producers voting during a representative period defined by the Secretary.

(3)
(A)

In the case of the order in effect on , the Egg Board shall determine under paragraph (1), as soon as practicable after , whether to request that the Secretary conduct a referendum under paragraph (2).

(B)

If the Egg Board makes such a request on the basis of competent evidence, as provided in paragraph (1), the Secretary shall conduct the referendum as soon as practicable, but not later than—

(i)

120 days after receipt of the request from the Egg Board; or

(ii)

if the Director of the Office of Management and Budget determines that the change in the assessment rate is a significant action that requires review by the Director, 170 days after receipt of the request from the Egg Board.

(4)

Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, if an increase in the assessment rate and the authority for additional increases is approved by producers in a referendum conducted under this subsection, the Secretary shall amend the order to reflect the vote of the producers. The amendment to the order shall become effective on the date of issuance of the amendment.

(c)

Nonapproval of amendments as not invalidating order

The failure of egg producers to approve an amendment to any Egg Research and Promotion Order shall not be deemed to invalidate such order.

Legislative history

Reconstructed from this section’s Code source credit and amendment notes, resolved against the local Statutes at Large. Editorial notes are evidence, not the law that made the change.

  1. Pub. L. 93–428 § 9 · 88 Stat. 1171

    Enacted · 7 U.S.C. § 2708

    Pub. L. 93–428, § 9, Oct. 1, 1974, 88 Stat. 1176

    Source evidence

    Code source credit
    Pub. L. 93–428, § 9, Oct. 1, 1974, 88 Stat. 1176

    Enacted provision · exact public law section
    Sec. 9. The Secretary shall conduct a referendum among egg producers 7 USC 2708. not exempt hereunder who, during a representative period determined by the Secretary, have been engaged in the production of commercial eggs, for the purpose of ascertaining whether the issuance of an order is approved or favored by such producers. No order issued pursuant to this Act shall be effective unless the Secretary determines that the issuance of such order is approved or favored by not less than two-thirds of the producers voting in such referendum, or by a majority of the producers voting in such referendum if such majority produced not less than two-thirds of the commercial eggs produced during a representative period defined by the Secretary.

  2. Pub. L. 96–276 § 5 · 94 Stat. 541

    Changed · 7 U.S.C. § 2708

    Pub. L. 96–276 provided that failure of egg producers to approve an amendment to any Egg Research and Promotion Order shall not be deemed to invalidate the order

    Source evidence

    Code amendment note
    Pub. L. 96–276 provided that failure of egg producers to approve an amendment to any Egg Research and Promotion Order shall not be deemed to invalidate the order.

    Enacted provision · exact public law section
    Sec. 5. Section 9 of the Egg Research and Consumer Information Act (7 U.S.C. 2708) is amended by adding at the end thereof a new sentence as follows: “The failure of egg producers to approve an amendment to any Egg Research and Promotion Order shall not be deemed to invalidate such order.”.

  3. Egg Research and Consumer Information Act Amendments of 1993

    Pub. L. 103–188 § 2(b) · 107 Stat. 2256

    1. Amended · 7 U.S.C. § 2708

      Pub. L. 103–188 designated first and second sentences of existing provisions as subsec. (a)

    2. Added · 7 U.S.C. § 2708

      Pub. L. 103–188 added subsec. (b)

    3. Amended · 7 U.S.C. § 2708

      Pub. L. 103–188 designated last sentence of existing provisions as subsec. (c)

    Source evidence

    Code amendment note
    Pub. L. 103–188 designated first and second sentences of existing provisions as subsec. (a), added subsec. (b), and designated last sentence of existing provisions as subsec. (c).

    Enacted provision · exact public law section
    (b) Referendum.— Section 9 of such Act (7 U.S.C. 2708) is amended— (1) by designating the first and second sentences as subsection (a); (2) by designating the last sentence as subsection (c); and (3) by inserting after subsection (a) (as designated by paragraph (1)) the following new subsection: “(b) (1) If the Egg Board determines, based on a scientific study, marketing analysis, or other similar competent evidence, that an increase in the assessment rate is needed to ensure that assessments under the order are set at an appropriate level to effectuate the policy declared in section 2, the Egg Board may request that the Secretary conduct a referendum, as provided in paragraph (2). “(2) (A) If the Egg Board requests the Secretary to conduct a referendum under paragraph (1) or (3), the Secretary shall conduct a referendum among egg producers not exempt from this Act who, during a representative period determined by the Secretary, have been engaged in the production of commercial eggs, for the purpose of ascertaining whether the producers approve the change in the assessment rate proposed by the Egg Board. “(B) The change in the assessment rate shall become effective if the change is approved or favored by— “(i) not less than two-thirds of the producers voting in the referendum; or “(ii) a majority of the producers voting in the referendum, if the majority produced not less than two-thirds of all the commercial eggs produced by the producers voting during a representative period defined by the Secretary. “(3) (A) In the case of the order in effect on the date of enactment of this subsection, the Egg Board shall determine under paragraph (1), as soon as practicable after such date of enactment, whether to request that the Secretary conduct a referendum under paragraph (2). “(B) If the Egg Board makes such a request on the basis of competent evidence, as provided in paragraph (1), the Secretary shall conduct the referendum as soon as practicable, but not later than— “(i) 120 days after receipt of the request from the Egg Board; or “(ii) if the Director of the Office of Management and Budget determines that the change in the assessment rate is a significant action that requires review by the Director, 170 days after receipt of the request from the Egg Board. “(4) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, if an increase in the assessment rate and the authority for additional increases is approved by producers in a referendum conducted under this subsection, the secretary shall amend the order to reflect the vote of the producers. The amendment to the order shall become Effective date. effective on the date of issuance of the amendment.”.

5 of 5 references resolved to an enrolled provision

Editorial Notes

Amendments1980–1993 · 2 rounds

1993

Pub. L. 103–188 designated first and second sentences of existing provisions as subsec. (a), added subsec. (b), and designated last sentence of existing provisions as subsec. (c).

1980

Pub. L. 96–276 provided that failure of egg producers to approve an amendment to any Egg Research and Promotion Order shall not be deemed to invalidate the order.

Credits

1974–1993 · 3 acts
  1. 1974Pub. L. 93–428, § 9, , 88 Stat. 1176
  2. 1980Pub. L. 96–276, § 5, , 94 Stat. 541
  3. 1993Pub. L. 103–188, § 2(b), , 107 Stat. 2256.
Show as published

(Pub. L. 93–428, § 9, , 88 Stat. 1176; Pub. L. 96–276, § 5, , 94 Stat. 541; Pub. L. 103–188, § 2(b), , 107 Stat. 2256.)

Parsed from the official OLRC USLM XML in data/usc_all/usc07.xml · release point 119-108 · OLRC build 2026-09-09

USLM identifier /us/usc/t7/s2708