---
kind: "section"
citation: "7 U.S.C. § 4308"
title: "7"
title_heading: "Agriculture"
number: "4308"
heading: "Referendum; necessity, etc."
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/7/4308"
units:
  - "Chapter 74 — Floral Research and Consumer Information"
---

# §4308. Referendum; necessity, etc.

- (a) The [Secretary](/usc/7/4302.md?p=1) shall conduct a referendum among domestic [producers](/usc/7/4302.md?p=13) and [importers](/usc/7/4302.md?p=15) not exempt under [section 4311 of this title](/usc/7/4311.md) who, during a representative period determined by the [Secretary](/usc/7/4302.md?p=1), have been engaged in the production or importation of [flowers and plants](/usc/7/4302.md?p=7), for the purpose of ascertaining whether the issuance of an order is approved or favored by such domestic [producers](/usc/7/4302.md?p=13) and [importers](/usc/7/4302.md?p=15). No order issued pursuant to this chapter shall be effective unless the [Secretary](/usc/7/4302.md?p=1) determines that the issuance of such order is approved or favored by not less than two-thirds of the [producers](/usc/7/4302.md?p=13) and [importers](/usc/7/4302.md?p=15) voting in such referendum, or by a majority of the [producers](/usc/7/4302.md?p=13) and [importers](/usc/7/4302.md?p=15) voting in such referendum if such majority produced and imported not less than two-thirds of the total value of the [flowers and plants](/usc/7/4302.md?p=7) produced and imported by those [producers](/usc/7/4302.md?p=13) and [importers](/usc/7/4302.md?p=15) voting in such referendum during a representative period defined by the [Secretary](/usc/7/4302.md?p=1).
- (b) The [Secretary](/usc/7/4302.md?p=1) shall be reimbursed from assessments for all costs incurred by the Government in connection with the conduct of the referendum, except for the salaries of Government employees.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 97–98, title XVII, § 1709, Dec. 22, 1981, 95 Stat. 1354.)