--- kind: "section" citation: "7 U.S.C. § 4613" title: "7" title_heading: "Agriculture" number: "4613" heading: "Implementation of amendments made by Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998" release: "119-102" date: "2026-07-12" url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/7/4613" units: - "Chapter 77 — Honey Research, Promotion, and Consumer Information" --- # §4613. Implementation of amendments made by Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 - (a) **Issuance of amended order—** To implement the amendments made to this chapter by [section 605](/usc/7/605.md) of the Agricultural [Research](/usc/7/4602.md?p=21), Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 (other than [subsection (m)](/usc/7/605.md) of that section), the [Secretary](/usc/7/4602.md?p=22) shall issue an amended order under [section 4603 of this title](/usc/7/4603.md) that reflects those amendments. - (b) **Proposal of amended order—** Not later than 90 days after June 23, 1998, the [Secretary](/usc/7/4602.md?p=22) shall publish a proposed order under [section 4603 of this title](/usc/7/4603.md) that reflects the amendments made by [section 605](/usc/7/605.md) of the Agricultural [Research](/usc/7/4602.md?p=21), Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998. The [Secretary](/usc/7/4602.md?p=22) shall provide notice and an opportunity for public comment on the proposed order in accordance with [section 4604 of this title](/usc/7/4604.md). - (c) **Issuance of amended order—** Not later than 240 days after publication of the proposed order, the [Secretary](/usc/7/4602.md?p=22) shall issue an order under [section 4605 of this title](/usc/7/4605.md), taking into consideration the comments received and including in the order such provisions as are necessary to ensure that the order conforms with the amendments made by [section 605](/usc/7/605.md) of the Agricultural [Research](/usc/7/4602.md?p=21), Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998. - (d) **Referendum on amended order—** - (1) **Requirement—** - (A) **In general—** On issuance of an order under [section 4605 of this title](/usc/7/4605.md) reflecting the amendments made by [section 605](/usc/7/605.md) of the Agricultural [Research](/usc/7/4602.md?p=21), Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998, the [Secretary](/usc/7/4602.md?p=22) shall conduct a referendum under this section for the sole purpose of determining whether the order as amended shall become effective. - (B) **Individual provisions—** No individual provision of the amended order shall be subject to a separate vote under the referendum. - (2) **Eligible voters—** The [Secretary](/usc/7/4602.md?p=22) shall conduct the referendum among [persons](/usc/7/4602.md?p=15) subject to assessment under the order that have been [producers](/usc/7/4602.md?p=16), [producer-packers](/usc/7/4602.md?p=17), [importers](/usc/7/4602.md?p=11), or [handlers](/usc/7/4602.md?p=6) during the 2-calendar-year period that precedes the referendum, which period shall be considered to be the representative period. - (3) **Determination of quantity—** - (A) **In general—** [Producer-packers](/usc/7/4602.md?p=17), [importers](/usc/7/4602.md?p=11), and [handlers](/usc/7/4602.md?p=6) shall be allowed to vote as if— - (i) the amended order had been in place during the representative period described in [paragraph (2)](#d-2); and - (ii) they had owed the increased assessments provided by the amended order. - (B) **Votes and attributed quantity for producer-packers and importers—** The votes and the quantity of [honey](/usc/7/4602.md?p=7) and [honey products](/usc/7/4602.md?p=10) attributed to the votes of [producer-packers](/usc/7/4602.md?p=17) and [importers](/usc/7/4602.md?p=11) shall be determined in accordance with [section 4611 of this title](/usc/7/4611.md). - (C) **Attributed quantity for handlers—** The quantity of [honey](/usc/7/4602.md?p=7) and [honey products](/usc/7/4602.md?p=10) attributed to the vote of a [handler](/usc/7/4602.md?p=6) shall be the quantity handled in the representative period described in [paragraph (2)](#d-2) for which the [handler](/usc/7/4602.md?p=6) would have owed assessments had the amended order been in effect. - (4) **Effectiveness of order—** The amended order shall become effective only if the [Secretary](/usc/7/4602.md?p=22) determines that the amended order is effective in accordance with [section 4611 of this title](/usc/7/4611.md). - (e) **Continuation of existing order if amended order is rejected—** If adoption of the amended order is not approved— - (1) the order issued under [section 4603 of this title](/usc/7/4603.md) that is in effect on June 23, 1998, shall continue in full force and effect; and - (2) the [Secretary](/usc/7/4602.md?p=22) may amend the order to ensure the conformity of the order with this chapter (as in effect on the day before June 23, 1998). - (f) **Effect of rejection on subsequent orders—** - (1) **In general—** Subject to [paragraph (2)](#f-2), if adoption of the amended order is not approved in the referendum required under [subsection (d)](#d), the [Secretary](/usc/7/4602.md?p=22) may issue an amended order that implements some or all of the amendments made to this chapter by [section 605](/usc/7/605.md) of the Agricultural [Research](/usc/7/4602.md?p=21), Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998, or makes other changes to an existing order, in accordance with the administrative procedures specified in sections [4604](/usc/7/4604.md) and [4605](/usc/7/4605.md) of this title. - (2) **Approval—** An amendment to an order that implements a provision that is subject to a referendum shall be approved in accordance with [section 4611 of this title](/usc/7/4611.md) before becoming effective. - (g) **Effect on periodic referenda—** If the amended order becomes effective, any referendum otherwise required to be conducted under [section 4612(c) of this title](/usc/7/4612.md?p=c) shall not be held before the date that is 5 years after the date of the referendum conducted under this section. ## Source credit (Pub. L. 98–590, § 14, as added Pub. L. 105–185, title VI, § 605(m), June 23, 1998, 112 Stat. 602.) ## Notes ### Editorial Notes ### References in Text Section 605 of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998, referred to in subsecs. (a) to (d)(1)(A) and (f)(1), is section 605 of Pub. L. 105–185, June 23, 1998, 112 Stat. 523, which enacted this section and amended sections 4601 to 4612 of this title. Subsec. (m) of section 605 enacted this section.