PUBLIC LAW 104-284—OCT. 11, 1996 110 STAT. 3371 (7) the term "public member" means a member of the Council, other than a representative of producers or retail marketers, representing significant users of propane, public safety officials, academia, the propane research community, or other groups knowledgeable about propane; (8) the term "qualified industry organization" means the National Propane Gas Association, the Gas Processors Association, a successor association of such associations, or a group of retail marketers or producers who collectively represent at least 25 percent of the volume of propane sold or produced in the United States; (9) the term "retail marketer" means a person engaged primarily in the sale of odorized propane to the ultimate consumer or to retail propane dispensers; (10) the term "retail propane dispenser" means a person who sells odorized propane to the ultimate consumer but is not engaged primarily in the business of such sales; and (11) the term "Secretar)^' means the Secretary of Energy. SEC. 4. REFERENDA. 15 USC 6403. (a) CREATION OF PROGRAM.—The qualified industry organizations may conduct, at their own expense, a referendum among producers and retail marketers for the creation of a Propane Education and Research Council. The Council, if established, shall reimburse the qualified industry organizations for the cost of the referendum accounting and documentation. Such referendum shall be conducted by an independent auditing firm agreed to by the qualified industry organizations. Voting rights in such referendum shall be based on the volume of propane produced or odorized propane sold in the previous calendar year or other representative period. Upon approval of those persons representing two-thirds of the total volume of propane voted in the retail marketer class and two-thirds of all propane voted in the producer class, the Council shall be established, and shall be authorized to levy an assessment on odorized propane in accordance with section 6. All persons voting in the referendum shall certify to the independent auditing firm the volume of propane represented by their vote. (b) TERMINATION.—On the Council's own initiative, or on petition to the Council by producers and retail marketers representing 35 percent of the volume of propane in each class, the Council shall, at its own expense, hold a referendum, to be conducted by an independent auditing firm selected by the Council, to determine whether the industry favors termination or suspension of the Council. Termination or suspension shall not take effect unless it is approved by persons representing more than one-half of the total volume of odorized propeine in the retail marketer class and more than one-half of the total volume of propane in the producer class, or is approved by persons representing more than two-thirds of the total volume of propane in either such class. SEC. 5. PROPANE EDUCATION AND RESEARCH COUNCIL. 15 USC 6404. (a) SELECTION OF MEMBERS. —The qualified industry organizations shall select all retail marketer, public, and producer members of the Council. The producer organizations shall select the producer members of the Covmcil, the retail marketer organizations shall select retail marketer members, and all qualified industry organizations shall jointly select the public members. Vacancies
�
