7 U.S.C. § 4613 — Implementation of amendments made by Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998

(a) Issuance of amended order. To implement section 605 amendments to this chapter, except subsection (m), the Secretary^* must issue an amended order under section 4603 reflecting them.

(b) Proposal. Within 90 days after June 23, 1998, the Secretary must publish a proposed order under section 4603 and provide notice and public comment under section 4604.

(c) Issuance. Within 240 days after publication, the Secretary must issue an order under section 4605, considering comments and including provisions needed to conform it to section 605.

(d) Referendum. (1)(A) When that order is issued, the Secretary must hold a referendum solely on whether the amended order becomes effective. (B) No individual provision may receive a separate vote. (2) The voters are people subject to assessment who were producers, producer^*-packers, importers, or handlers during the 2 calendar years before the referendum, called the representative period. This section does not otherwise define those quoted terms. (3)(A) Producer-packers, importers, and handlers vote as if the amended order had been in place and they owed its increased assessments. (B) Votes and attributed quantities for producer-packers and importers are determined under section 4611. (C) For a handler^*, attributed quantity is the amount handled during the representative period for which the handler would have owed assessments under the amended order. (4) The amended order becomes effective only if the Secretary determines it is effective under section 4611.

(e) Continuation if rejected. If adoption is not approved, (1) the section 4603 order in effect on June 23, 1998, continues in full force, and (2) the Secretary may amend it to conform to this chapter as it existed the day before June 23, 1998.

(f) Subsequent orders. (1) Subject to (2), after rejection the Secretary may issue an order implementing some or all section 605 amendments or making other changes, using sections 4604 and 4605 procedures. (2) An amendment implementing a referendum-required provision must be approved under section 4611 before it takes effect.

(g) If the amended order becomes effective, a referendum otherwise required under section 4612(c) may not occur until 5 years after this referendum.