956.22—Nominations.
Nominations from which the Secretary may select the members of the committee and their respective alternates may be made in the following manner:
(a)
The committee shall hold or cause to be held, within the production area and prior to April 1 of each year or by such other date as may be specified by the Secretary, one or more meetings of producers and handlers for the purpose of designating one nominee for each of the member and alternate member positions which are vacant or will be vacant at the end of the fiscal period;
(b)
In arranging for such meetings the committee may, if it deems such desirable, cooperate with existing organizations and agencies;
(c)
Nominations for committee members and alternate members shall be provided to the Secretary, in such manner and form as the Secretary may prescribe, not later than 30 days prior to the end of the fiscal period within which the current term of office expires;
(d)
Only producers may participate in designating nominees for producer committee members and their alternates and only handlers may participate in designating nominees for handler committee members and their alternates;
(e)
Each person who is both a handler and a producer may vote either as a handler or as a producer, but not both;
(f)
Each person is entitled to cast only one vote on behalf of him or herself, his or her partners, agents, subsidiaries, affiliates and representatives, in designating nominees for committee members and alternates. An eligible producer's or handler's privilege of casting only one vote, as aforesaid, shall be construed to permit such voter to cast one vote for each producer member and alternate member position to be filled or each handler member and alternate member position to be filled, but not both.
(g)
Every three years, at the first meeting following selection, the committee shall nominate the public member and alternate for a three-year term of office.
(h)
The committee shall prescribe such additional qualifications, administrative rules and procedures for selection and voting for each candidate as it deems necessary and as the Secretary approves.