§ 2707 — Required Terms And Conditions In Orders

Orders issued pursuant to this chapter shall contain the following conditions: (a) 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. (b) 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. (c) 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. (d) 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. (1) Providing that each egg producer shall pay to the handler of eggs designated by the order of the Egg Board pursuant to regulations issued under the order, an assessment based upon the number of cases of commercial eggs handled for the account of such producer, in the manner as prescribed by the order, for such expenses and expenditures—including provision for a reasonable reserve and those administrative costs incurred by the Department after an order has been promulgated under this chapter—as the Secretary finds are reasonable and likely to be incurred by the Egg Board under the order during any period specified by him. Such handler shall collect such assessment from the producer and shall pay the same to the Egg Board in the manner as prescribed by the order. (A) The assessment rate shall be prescribed by the order. The rate shall not exceed 20 cents per case (or the equivalent of a case) of commercial eggs. (B) The order may be amended to increase the rate of assessment if the increase is recommended by the Egg Board and approved by egg producers in a referendum conducted under section 2708(b) of this title. (C) The order may be amended to decrease the assessment rate after public notice and opportunity for comment in accordance with section 553 of title 5 and without regard to sections 556 and 557 of such title. (3) To facilitate the collection of such assessments, the order of the Egg Board may designate different handlers or classes of handlers to recognize differences in marketing practices or procedures utilized in the industry. The Secretary may maintain a suit against any person subject to the order for the collection of such assessment, and the several district courts of the United States are hereby vested with jurisdiction to entertain such suits regardless of the amount in controversy. (f) 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. (g) 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. (h) 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. (i) 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. (j) 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.