However, the individual commodity councils may contract with the Department of Agriculture to perform administrative services, including collection of the check-off fees for deposit into the council's bank accounts. AGR would be allowed to retain fees for the cost of these administrative services, to be deposited into the commodity council merchandising fund. Oversight assumes that essentially all revenue from fees, less administrative expenses, is currently being distributed to councils. This proposal would clarify the eligibility of cotton growers to vote in an assessment referendum. Each grower is entitled to one vote.
Current law allows one vote per acre dedicated to cotton production.
This proposal would change the accounting of the monies collected for the Commodity Council Merchandising Fund. The monies shall be collected by the appropriate commodity council. The individual councils may contract with the Department of Agriculture to perform all administrative services related to the collection and accounting of the funds. Administrative costs related to such services shall be deposited into the Commodity Council Merchandising Fund. This legislation is not federally mandated, would not duplicate any other program and would not require additional capital improvements or rental space.