California Table Grape Commission.

Assembly Member Solache's legislation restructures the California Table Grape Commission, modifying its membership from 21 grape producers and one public member to three producers from each of six geographic districts plus a public member appointed by the Secretary of Food and Agriculture. The bill requires the commission to maintain and annually certify a list of eligible producers who qualify to vote in commissioner elections.

The legislation expands the commission's authority to include matching external funding contributions, administering industry-related programs, and responding to emergencies affecting public health and industry stability. It increases the maximum allowable assessment on fresh grapes from $0.006522 to $0.02 per pound, while maintaining exemptions for direct-to-consumer sales under 150 pounds.

The bill establishes new procedural requirements, including a formal grievance process allowing producers to appeal commission decisions to the Secretary of Food and Agriculture. It implements a two-year statute of limitations for legal actions involving the commission and specifies that venue for commission-initiated proceedings must be in the defendant's jurisdiction or the commission's principal office. The legislation also modifies the process for continuing or suspending commission operations through producer referendums, requiring participation from at least 40% of producers representing 40% of production volume.