7 U.S.C. § 6407
Each order issued under this chapter shall contain the terms and conditions prescribed in this section.
The order shall establish a National Processor Advertising and Promotion Board to administer the order.
In administering the order, the Board shall carry out programs and projects that will provide maximum benefit to the fluid milk industry and promote only fluid milk products. The Board shall, to the extent practicable, ensure that advertising coverage in each region is proportionate to the funds collected from each region.
The Secretary shall establish not less than 12 nor more than 15 regions in order to ensure appropriate geographic representation on the Board.
The Board shall consist of one member appointed by the Secretary, from among fluid milk processors, to represent each of the regions established under paragraph (3), with the membership representing, to the extent practicable, differing sizes of operations. The Secretary shall appoint five additional at-large members to the Board, of which at least three shall be fluid milk processors and at least one shall be from the general public.
The members of the Board shall serve for terms of 3 years, except that the members appointed to the initial Board shall serve, proportionately, for terms of 1, 2, and 3 years, as determined by the Secretary. No member shall serve for more than 2 consecutive terms, except that the members that are selected to serve for the initial term of 1 or 2 years shall be eligible to be reappointed for a 3-year term.
Each member of the Board shall serve without compensation, but shall be reimbursed for necessary and reasonable expenses incurred in the performance of duties of the Board.
The order shall define the powers and duties of the Board, which shall include the power and duty-
The order shall require the Board, prior to the beginning of each fiscal year, or as may be necessary after the beginning of the fiscal year, to develop budgets of the anticipated expenses and disbursements of the Board in the implementation of the order, including projected costs of research and advertising. The budget shall be submitted to the Secretary and be effective on the approval of the Secretary.
The Board may incur such expenses for research or advertising of fluid milk products, and other expenses for the administration, maintenance, and functioning of the Board, as may be authorized by the Secretary. The expenses shall include any implementation, administrative, and referendum costs incurred by the Department.
The funds to cover the expenses referred to in paragraph (2) shall be paid from assessments collected under section 6409 of this title.
Effective 1 year after the date of the establishment of the Board, the Board shall not spend in excess of 5 percent of the assessments collected for the administration of the Board.
A program or project conducted under this chapter shall not make any reference to private brand names or use false or unwarranted claims on behalf of fluid milk products, or false or unwarranted statements with respect to the attributes or use of any competing products, except that this subsection shall not preclude the Board from offering its programs and projects for use by commercial parties, under such terms and conditions as the Board may prescribe as approved by the Secretary.
To ensure efficient use of funds collected under this chapter, the order shall provide that the Board may enter into contracts or agreements for the implementation and carrying out of programs or projects for fluid milk products research and advertising and for the payment of the costs of the programs or projects with funds received by the Board under the order.
Any such contract or agreement shall provide that-
The order shall provide that the Board, with the approval of the Secretary, may invest assessment funds collected by the Board under the order, pending disbursement of the funds, only in-
Income from any such investment may be used for any purpose for which the invested funds may be used.
The order shall require the Board to-
The Board shall cause the books and records of the Board to be audited by an independent auditor at the end of each fiscal year. A report of each such audit shall be submitted to the Secretary.
The order shall require that each fluid milk processor subject to this chapter maintain and make available for inspection such books and records as may be required by the order and file reports at the time, in the manner, and having the content prescribed by the order.
Information obtained under paragraph (1) shall be made available to the Secretary as is appropriate for the effectuation, administration, or enforcement of this chapter, or any order or regulation issued under this chapter.
Except as provided in subparagraphs (B) and (C), commercial or financial information that is obtained under paragraph (1) or (2) and that is privileged or confidential shall be kept confidential by all officers and employees of the Department and agents of the Board, and only such information so obtained as the Secretary considers relevant may be disclosed to the public by them and then only in a suit or administrative hearing brought at the request of the Secretary, or to which the Secretary or any officer of the United States is a party, and involving the order.
Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, information obtained under this chapter may be made available to another agency of the Federal Government for a civil or criminal law enforcement activity if the activity is authorized by law and if the head of the agency has made a written request to the Secretary specifying the particular information desired and the law enforcement activity for which the information is sought.
Nothing in subparagraph (A) may be construed to prohibit-
Any person violating this subsection, on conviction, shall be subject to a fine of not more than $1,000 or to imprisonment for not more than 1 year, or both, and if such person is an agent of the Board or an officer or employee of the Department, shall be removed from office.
Nothing in this subsection shall authorize the Secretary to withhold information from a duly authorized committee or subcommittee of Congress.
The records required under paragraph (1) shall be maintained for 2 years beyond the fiscal year of the applicability of the records.
Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (2), the order shall prohibit any funds collected by the Board under the order from being used in any manner for the purpose of influencing legislation or government action or policy.
Paragraph (1) shall not apply to the development or recommendation of amendments to the order.
The order shall require the Board to take reasonable steps to coordinate the collection of assessments, and advertising and research activities of the Board with the National Dairy Promotion and Research Board established under section 4504(b) of this title.
The order shall exempt fluid milk products exported from the United States from assessments under the order.
The Secretary shall provide annually for an independent evaluation of the effectiveness of the fluid milk promotion program carried out under this chapter during the previous fiscal year, in conjunction with the evaluation of the National Dairy Promotion and Research Board established under section 4504(b) of this title.
The order also shall contain such terms and conditions, not inconsistent with this chapter, as are necessary to effectuate this chapter, including regulations relating to the assessment of late payment charges.
7 U.S.C. § 6407
- Board
- The term "Board" means the National Processor Advertising and Promotion Board established under section 6407(b) of this title.
- Department
- The term "Department" means the Department of Agriculture.
- Secretary
- The term "Secretary" means the Secretary of Agriculture.
- advertising
- The term "advertising" means any advertising or promotion program involving only fluid milk products and directed toward increasing the general demand for fluid milk products.
- fluid milk processor
- The term "fluid milk processor" means any person who processes and markets commercially more than 3,000,000 pounds of fluid milk products in consumer-type packages per month (excluding products delivered directly to the place of residence of a consumer).
- research
- The term "research" means market research to support advertising and promotion efforts, including educational activities, research directed to product characteristics, product development, including new products or improved technology in production, manufacturing or processing of milk and the products of milk.