OK SB1851

Nonprofit commodity organizations may petition the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry to conduct statewide referendums allowing producers to levy assessments on themselves to fund research, disease/insect control, predator control, education, and promotion programs for their agricultural commodity.

Petitions require signatures from at least 10% of commodity producers in the state and must designate a federally approved commodity board as the recipient of collected assessments.

Referendum approval requires either two-thirds of voters in favor, or more than half of voters representing at least 50% of production volume voting in favor.

Producers who pay the state assessment may obtain a refund by filing an application within 60 days of payment; the board must process refunds by the 11th day of the following month.

The state assessment automatically discontinues if the federal commodity board increases its federal assessment, unless producers vote within 6 months to continue the state assessment; producers may also petition to discontinue the assessment at any time through referendum.