The Boll Weevil Eradication Program, as provided for under this chapter, must be implemented for a specified time determined by the commission if it determines that the federal government and the commercial cotton producers of this State, as determined by referendum conducted by the commission, shall cooperate and provide for the cost of carrying out the provisions of this chapter for the specified time. The cotton producer referendum must receive the favorable vote of two-thirds of the producers casting votes. All commercial cotton producers in South Carolina shall receive ballots and are eligible to vote.

Upon termination of the time specified in the last referendum, the commission shall establish an assessment, not to exceed ten dollars an acre, to cover suppression and containment costs on all cotton acreage within the eradication area as long as a containment program is necessary. This assessment and program duration is subject to change when petitioned by ten percent of the commercial cotton producers of this State.

HISTORY: 1982 Act No. 281, Section 2; 1985 Act No. 13, Section 2; 1988 Act No. 554, Section 1, eff May 29, 1988; 1990 Act No. 491, Section 3, eff May 29, 1990.

Effect of Amendment

The 1988 amendment made grammatical changes in the first paragraph, and rewrote the second paragraph deleting provisions providing for referenda to continue the program for additional periods and providing that the referenda specify the maximum annual payment or indicate that state funds were to be utilized, and adding provisions providing for changes in the assessment and the duration of the program upon petition of ten percent of the commercial cotton producers.

The 1990 amendment substituted "ten dollars" for "eight dollars", in the second paragraph.