Orders issued pursuant to this chapter shall contain the following conditions:
Providing for the establishment and appointment, by the Secretary, of an Egg Board which shall consist of not more than twenty members, and alternates therefor, and defining its powers and duties which shall include only the powers (1) to administer such order in accordance with its terms and provisions, (2) to make rules and regulations to effectuate the terms and provisions of such order, (3) to receive, investigate and report to the Secretary complaints of violations of such order, and (4) to recommend to the Secretary amendments to such order. The term of an appointment to the Egg Board shall be for two years with no member serving more than three consecutive terms, except that initial appointment shall be proportionately for two-year and three-year terms.
Providing that the Egg Board, and alternates therefor, shall be composed of egg producers or representatives of egg producers appointed by the Secretary from nominations submitted by eligible organizations, associations, or cooperatives, and certified pursuant to section 2715 of this title, or, if the Secretary determines that a substantial number of egg producers are not members of or their interests are not represented by any such eligible organizations, associations or cooperatives, then from nominations made by such egg producers in the manner authorized by the Secretary, so that the representation of egg producers on the Board shall reflect, to the extent practicable, the proportion of eggs produced in each geographic area of the United States as defined by the Secretary: Provided, however, That each such egg producing geographic area shall be entitled to at least one representative on the Egg Board: Provided further, That two members of the Egg Board, and alternates therefor, shall be consumers or representatives of consumers, if approved by egg producers voting in a referendum on an amendment to the order. Such consumer appointments shall be made by the Secretary from nominations submitted by eligible organizations. If the Secretary determines that such nominees are not members of either a bona fide consumer organization or do not represent consumers, the Secretary may appoint such consumers or representatives of consumers as deemed necessary to properly represent the interest of consumers. Consumer members of the Egg Board shall be voting members.
Providing that the Egg Board shall, subject to the provisions of subsection (g) of this section, develop and submit to the Secretary for his approval any advertising, sales promotion, consumer education, research, and development plans or projects, and that any such plan or project must be approved by the Secretary before becoming effective.
Providing that the Egg Board shall, subject to the provisions of subsection (g) of this section, submit to the Secretary for his approval budgets on a fiscal period basis of its anticipated expenses and disbursements in the administration of the order, including probable costs of advertising, promotion, consumer education, research, and development projects. In preparing a budget for each of the 1994 and subsequent fiscal years, the Egg Board shall, to the maximum extent practicable, allocate a proportion of funds for research projects under this chapter that is comparable to the proportion of funds that were allocated for research projects under this chapter in the budget of the Egg Board for fiscal year 1993.
Providing that the Egg Board shall maintain such books and records and prepare and submit such reports from time to time, to the Secretary as he may prescribe, and for appropriate accounting by the Egg Board with respect to the receipt and disbursement of all funds entrusted to it.
Providing that the Egg Board, with the approval of the Secretary, may enter into contracts or agreements for development and carrying out of the activities authorized under the order pursuant to section 2706(a) and (b) of this title and for the payment of the cost thereof with funds collected pursuant to the order. Any such contract or agreement shall provide that such contractors shall develop and submit to the Egg Board a plan or project together with a budget or budgets which shall show estimated costs to be incurred for such plan or project, and that any such plan or project shall become effective upon the approval of the Secretary, and further, shall provide that the contracting party shall keep accurate records of all of its transactions and make periodic reports to the Egg Board of activities carried out and an accounting for funds received and expended, and such other reports as the Secretary may require.
Providing that no funds collected by the Egg Board under the order shall in any manner be used for the purpose of influencing governmental policy or action, except as provided by subsection (a)(4) of this section.
Providing that the Board members, and alternates therefor, shall serve without compensation, but shall be reimbursed for their reasonable expenses incurred in performing their duties as members of the Board.
Providing that the total costs incurred by the Egg Board for a fiscal year in collecting producer assessments and having an administrative staff shall not exceed an amount of the projected total assessments to be collected by the Egg Board for such fiscal year that the Secretary determines to be reasonable.
7 U.S.C. § 2707
EDITORIAL NOTES
AMENDMENTS1993-Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 103-188, §3, inserted at end "In preparing a budget for each of the 1994 and subsequent fiscal years, the Egg Board shall, to the maximum extent practicable, allocate a proportion of funds for research projects under this chapter that is comparable to the proportion of funds that were allocated for research projects under this chapter in the budget of the Egg Board for fiscal year 1993."Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 103-188, §2(a), designated first and second sentences of existing provisions as par. (1), added par. (2) and struck out third and fourth sentences of existing provisions which read as follows: "For fiscal year 1981, the rate of assessment prescribed by the order shall not exceed 71/2 cents per case of commercial eggs or the equivalent thereof. For each fiscal year thereafter, the rate of assessment may be increased by no more than three-quarters of a cent per case of commercial eggs or the equivalent thereof: Provided, That the rate of assessment shall not exceed 10 cents per case of commercial eggs or the equivalent thereof.", and designated fifth and sixth sentences of existing provisions as par. (3).1988-Subsec. (j). Pub. L. 100-575 added subsec. (j).1980-Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 96-276, §2, substituted "twenty" for "eighteen".Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 96-276, §3, extended membership on the Egg Board to two consumers or representatives of consumers, and their alternates, when approved by egg producers voting in a referendum on an amendment to the order, to be appointed by the Secretary from nominations submitted by eligible organizations or otherwise when necessary to properly represent the interest of consumers, the consumer members to be voting members.Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 96-276, §4, substituted rate of assessment provisions prescribing for fiscal year 1981 a rate not exceeding 71/2 cents per case of commercial eggs or its equivalent, authorizing increases of three-quarters of a cent per case for each fiscal year thereafter, but limiting maximum rate to 10 cents per case for prior limitation of the rate of assessment to 5 cents per case.
- Secretary
- The term "Secretary" means the Secretary of Agriculture or any other officer or employee of the Department of Agriculture to whom there has heretofore been delegated, or to whom there may hereafter be delegated, the authority to act in his stead.
- United States
- The term "United States" means the forty-eight contiguous States of the United States of America and the District of Columbia.
- case
- The term "case" means a standard shipping package containing thirty dozen eggs.
- consumer education
- The term "consumer education" means any action to advance the image or desirability of eggs, egg products, spent fowl, or products of spent fowl.
- egg producer
- The term "egg producer" means the person owning laying hens engaged in the production of commercial eggs.
- handler
- The term "handler" means any person, specified in the order or the rules and regulations issued thereunder, who receives or otherwise acquires eggs from an egg producer, and processes, prepares for marketing, or markets, such eggs, including eggs of his own production.
- marketing
- The term "marketing" means the sale or other disposition of commercial eggs, egg products, spent fowl, or products of spent fowl, in any channel of commerce.
- person
- The term "person" means any individual, group of individuals, partnership, corporation, association, cooperative, or any other entity.
- promotion
- The term "promotion" means any action, including paid advertising, to advance the image or desirability of eggs, egg products, spent fowl, or products of spent fowl.
- research
- The term "research" means any type of research to advance the image, desirability, marketability, production, or quality of eggs, egg products, spent fowl, or products of spent fowl.