A proposed Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) rule seeks comments on procedures for conducting a referendum to determine whether an Organic Research, Promotion, and Information Order is favored by certified organic producers, handlers, and importers. (A copy of the “Order” is available here.)

Per AMS, the proposed rule establishes procedures for conducting a referendum, including voting instructions, use of subagents, ballots, the referendum report, and confidentiality of information. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) would conduct the referendum and the program would be implemented only if a majority of domestic certified organic producers, handlers and importers voting in the referendum favor it.

Today’s proposed rule also announces AMS’s intent to request approval by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) of new information collection requirements to implement the program. According to AMS, domestic certified organic producers and certified organic handlers “with gross organic sales greater than $250,000, importers with transaction value that exceeds $250,000 in organic products during the prior year, and ‘voluntarily assessed’ entities” would be eligible to participate in the referendum. The ballot would be completed by eligible domestic certified organic producers, handlers, and importers who want to indicate whether or not they support implementation of the program.

Comments received by April 19, 2017, will be considered prior to issuance of a final rule and may be submitted here.