SC-243 Qualification and Acceptance Statement

OMB No. 0581-0215

Return by:
_____________

ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEE FOR PISTACHIOS
FEDERAL MARKETING ORDER 983

Qualification and Acceptance Statement
The following information is required for use by the Secretary of Agriculture to determine your eligibility and willingness
to serve on the Administrative Committee for Pistachios (Committee). Please complete this form and return it by
________, 20__.
Your Full Name:

Mailing Address, City, State and Zip:

Telephone Number:

Fax Number:

Email Address:

Qualification (definitions for producer, handler, affiliation, proprietary capacity and public member attached)
 PRODUCER Are you a pistachio producer, an officer of a pistachio producer, or an employee of a pistachio
producer?
Yes 

No 

Producer Tax ID:

Who handled your pistachios this crop year?

Number of years in the
pistachio business:

District (s) of production:

Number of pounds
produced (this crop
year):

Is your operation small (as defined by the Small Business
Administration (13 CFS 121.201) for a PRODUCER as
having annual receipts less than $3,750,000)?

District 1 2 3 4

Y

(Circle the district(s))

Number of acres in
production:
Are you an organic
producer?

N

Y

N

 HANDLER Are you a pistachio handler, an officer for a pistachio handler, or an employee of a pistachio
handler?
Yes 

No 

Volume of pistachios handled
this crop year:

Handler Tax ID:

Years in the pistachio
business:

Is your operation small (as defined by the Small Business
Administration (13 CFS 121.201) for a HANDLER as those
whose annual receipts are less than $34,000,000)?
Y

N

Are you an
organic
handler?
Y

N

 PUBLIC MEMBER Are you affiliated with any pistachio handler or producer as an owner, employee,
officer, director, or in any other capacity? (See definitions: for example, do you have any ownership/control of any handler
or grower entity, either directly or through a corporation, cooperative, partnership, etc.?)

Yes 

No 

Affiliation(s):

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless
it displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 0581-0215. The time required to complete this information
collection is estimated to average 10 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the
data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information.

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 Do you have a financial interest or proprietary capacity in an organization that is involved in producing,
handling, grading, or marketing pistachios? If so, please list:

 Are you a member of a producer cooperative, cooperative marketing association, cooperative bargaining
association, handler cooperative, shareholder in a corporation, limited liability corporation, trust, association,
or any other organization(s) furthering the interest of pistachio producers or handlers? If so, state the name of
each, the type of organization, and your position in any and all organizations in which you are affiliated or a
member:

Marketing order committee members in their official capacities are prohibited from taking any action specifically designed to influence legislation, including any
attempt to influence public opinion concerning legislation. Committee members may not communicate with any official of a State or Federal legislative body for the
purpose of attempting to influence legislation. Committee members are also prohibited from attempting to influence State or Federal government actions or policies or
those of foreign governments, except as specifically authorized under the marketing order or expressly approved by the Secretary. Committee members are specifically
precluded from authorizing the expenditure of marketing order funds for the purpose of attempting to influence legislation or government actions. These same
prohibitions apply to committee managers, staff, and contractors except that committee managers may consult with U.S. Department of Agriculture employees during
the pendency of informal rulemaking actions.
If marketing order committee or subcommittee members are sued individually or jointly for errors in judgment, mistakes or other acts either of omission or commission
(except for acts of dishonesty, willful misconduct, or gross negligence) in the conduct of their duties under the marketing agreement or order, they may be authorized
legal defense by the Department of Justice (DOJ). Alternatively, legal defense may be provided through private counsel, if recommended by the Department of
Agriculture (USDA) and approved by DOJ. USDA and DOJ enjoy an excellent working relationship with respect to providing legal representation for committee
members and employees, either by DOJ or through authorized private counsel. USDA is committed to a comprehensive legal defense policy of all committee members
and employees acting within the scope of their authorized committee duties and responsibilities.
Marketing order committee members are expected to maintain an appropriate level of conduct and professionalism at all committee meetings. Failure to do so may
result in removal from office.

Certification of Qualification and Acceptance
I certify that I meet the eligibility requirements of the California, Arizona and New Mexico Pistachio Marketing Order.
I have read and agree to comply with Committee membership requirements as outlined in this form, and that I am
willing to serve on the Administrative Committee for Pistachios as a:
Producer member

Handler member

Signature:



Public member
Date:

The original signed copy of this form needs to be on file with the Administrative Committee for
Pistachios. Please fax or email a copy of the completed form by ___________, 20___, and then mail the
original.
Administrative Committee for Pistachios
499 W. Shaw Ave., Suite 140
Fresno, CA 93704
Phone: (559) 255-6480
Fax: (559) 255-6485
SC-243 (Exp. 07/31/2027. Destroy Previous Versions.)

E-mail: [email protected]
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DEFINITIONS
PRODUCER: means any person engaged, within the production area and in a proprietary capacity, in the production of pistachios for
sale.
PERSON: means an individual, partnership, limited liability corporation, corporation, trust, association, or any other business unit.
HANDLER: means any person who handles pistachios. Handle means to engage in:
a) Receiving pistachios;
b) Hulling and drying pistachios;
c) Further preparing pistachios by sorting, sizing, shelling, roasting, cleaning, salting, and/or packaging for
marketing in or transporting to any and all markets in the current of interstate or foreign commerce; and/or
d) Placing pistachios into the current of commerce from within the production area to points outside thereof:
Provided, however, that transportation within the production area between handlers and from the orchard to
the processing facility is not handling.
PUBLIC MEMBER: means any person who is not a producer or handler and does not have a financial interest in any pistachio
growing or handling operation.
PROPRIETARY CAPACITY: Proprietary capacity means the capacity or interest of a producer or handler that, either directly or
through one or more intermediaries, is a property owner together with all the appurtenant rights of an owner including the right to vote
the interest in that capacity as an individual, a shareholder, member of a cooperative, partner, trustee or in any other capacity with
respect to any other business unit.
AFFILIATION: This term normally appears as "affiliate of," or "affiliated with," and means a person such as a producer or handler
who is: a producer or handler that directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, owns or controls, or is controlled by, or is
under common control with the producer or handler specified; or a producer or handler that directly, or indirectly through one or more
intermediaries, is connected in a proprietary capacity, or shares the ownership or control of the specified producer or handler with one
or more other producers or handlers. As used in this part, the term “control” (including the terms “controlling,” “controlled by,” and
“under the common control with”) means the possession, direct or indirect, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the
management and policies of a handler or a producer, whether through voting securities, membership in a cooperative, by contract or
otherwise.
DISTRICTS:
District 1: Imperial, Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Tulare, and
Ventura counties
District 2: Fresno, Kings, Madera, and Merced counties
District 3: Counties not in District 1 or 2
District 4: Arizona and New Mexico
The following statements are made in accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974 (U.S.C. 552a) and the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, as amended. The authority for
requesting the information to be supplied on this form is the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937, Secs. 1-19, 48 Stat. 31, as amended, (7 U.S.C. 601-674).
Furnishing the requested information is necessary for the administration of the marketing order program. Submission of the Tax Identification Number (TIN) is mandatory,
and will be used to validate ballots and determine affiliation or entity identity. Please note that ballots will not become invalid if a TIN is not disclosed. The making of
any false statements or representations in any matter within the jurisdiction of any agency of the United States, knowing it to be false, is a violation of title 18, section
1001 of the United States Code, which provides for fine or imprisonment, or both.
In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and
employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex,
disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights
activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program or
incident. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact
USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD).
To file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, or call (800)
795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

SC-243 (Exp. 07/31/2027. Destroy Previous Versions.)

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