Food and Agricultural Code, 1967

The notice of hearing must state that a petition to dissolve the district was filed, where the petition can be inspected, when and where the hearing will occur, and that protests will be considered at the hearing.

Notice of the hearing must be published in a newspaper of general circulation that is published and circulated in the district.

The notice must be published once a week for two consecutive weeks before the hearing date.

If the board of supervisors does not find a compelling reason to override the owners’ petition at the hearing, it must dissolve the district by resolution.

The board of supervisors must record and file a certified copy of the resolution; once that happens, the district is dissolved.

The department and the board may not spend more than 14% of article assessments on administrative purposes. The Joint Legislative Audit Committee and the State Auditor keep independent audit authority.

When the district dissolves, its property interests vest in the city if the property is inside city limits, or in the county if it is outside city limits.

The board of supervisors serves as the ex officio governing body of the dissolved district and may levy assessments and take other necessary actions to wind up the district and pay outstanding debts.

Unsettled claims and accounts against the district must be presented to the county board of supervisors within 90 days after the recorded resolution.

If district funds are insufficient, the board of supervisors must levy a special assessment on the benefited table-grape acreage to pay outstanding claims; in a consolidated district, each county board must levy its own assessment using the stated ratio.

Owners of wine grapes, raisin grapes, and other agricultural commodities may petition to come under a district, if the petition meets this article’s requirements and the district board approves it.

Most proprietary information held by the board or department must not be disclosed, except under a qualifying court order.

A producer may not sue a processor over the assessment or required deduction rules, and failures to pay or remit assessments trigger a delinquencies action plus a 10% penalty and 1.5% monthly interest.

If this article ends, collected assessments that are not needed for obligations under the article must be returned pro rata or paid to certain disease-prevention or research programs.

This section limits lawsuits and personal liability for board members and agents, except for their own dishonesty or crime.

This article is not subject to Government Code Chapter 3.5.

This section says the article should be read broadly, and that if one part is invalid, the rest can still work if possible.