Department of Agriculture October 16, 2023 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This proposed rule invites comments on the establishment of procedures for conducting a referendum to determine whether issuance of a proposed Natural Grass Sod Research and Promotion Order (Order) is favored by natural grass sod producers. The procedures would also be used for any subsequent referendum under the Order. The proposed Order is being published separately in this issue of the Federal Register.

This rule temporarily suspends the continuance referendum requirement under the Federal marketing order for California raisins. The continuance referendum scheduled between November 2023 and November 2025 overlaps with the timeframe the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) plans to conduct a formal rulemaking to amend the marketing order. This suspension delays the enforcement of the continuance referendum requirement to give precedence to the formal rulemaking process, which may include a producer referendum. In addition, if the marketing order is amended, this temporary suspension provides industry time to operate under the amended marketing order before the next scheduled continuance referendum.