An act to provide continuing authority to the Secretary of Agriculture for recovering costs associated with cotton classing services to producers and to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to invest funds derived from fees for certain voluntary grading and inspection services.
PL 98-403 (S.2085), enacted 08/28/1984

PUBLIC LAW 98-403—AUG. 28, 1984 
98 STAT. 1479 
Public Law 98-403 
98th Congress 
An Act 
To provide continuing authority to the Secretary of Agriculture for recovering costs 
/|^^^„ 28 1984 
associated with cotton classing services to producers and to authorize the Secretary 
' 
of Agriculture to invest funds derived from fees for certain voluntary grading and 
L'^- '^OO&J 
inspection services. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled. That, effective for 
the period beginning October 1, 1984, and ending September 30, 
1988, section 3a of the Cotton Statistics and Estimates Act (7 U.S.C. 
473a) is amended to read as follows: 
"SEC. 3a. Effective for the fiscal years ending September 30,1985, 
September 30, 1986, September 30, 1987, and September 30, 1988, 
the Secretary of Agricidture shall make cotton classification serv-
ices available to producers of cotton and shall provide for the 
collection of classification fees from participating producers, or from 
agents who voluntarily agree to collect and remit the fees on behalf 
of producers. Such fees, together with the proceeds from the sales of 
samples submitted under this section, shall cover as nearly as 
practicable the cost of the services provided under this section, 
including administrative and supervisory costs: Provided, That (1) 
the uniform per bale classification fee to be collected from produc-
ers, or their agents, for such classification service in any year shall 
not exceed the uniform fee collected in the previous year by more 
than the percentage increase in the Implicit Price Deflator for Gross 
National Product as indexed during the most recent twelve-month 
period for which official statistics are available, and (2) the uniform 
per bale classification fee shall not be increased for any year if the 
accumulated reserve exceeds 20 per centum of the cost of the 
classification program in the previous year. Special classification 
services provided at the request of the producer shall not be subject 
to the restrictions specified in clauses (1) and (2) of the preceding 
sentence. All samples of cotton submitted for classification under 
this section shall become the property of the United States, and 
shall be sold: Provided, That such cotton samples shall not be 
subject to the provisions of the Federal Property and Administrative 
Services Act of 1949 (40 U.S.C. 471 et seq.). Any fees collected under 
this section and under section 3d of this Act, late payment penalties,, 
7 USC 473d. 
the proceeds from the sales of samples, and interest earned from the 
investment of such funds shall be credited to the current appropria-
tion account that incurs the cost of services provided under this 
section and section 3d and shall remain avsdlable without fiscsd year 
limitation to pay the expenses of the Secretary incident to providing 
such services. Such funds may be invested by the Secretary in 
insured or fully collateralized, interest-bearing accounts or, at the 
discretion of the Secretary, by the Secretary of the Treasury in 
United States Government debt instruments. There are authorized 
to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out the 
provisions of this section to the extent that financing is not available 
from fees and the proceeds from the sales of samples.". 
98 STAT. 1480 
PUBLIC LAW 98-403—AUG. 28, 1984 
SEC. 2. Section 203(h) of the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (7 
U.S.C. 1622(h)) is amended by inserting immediately before the first 
complete sentence the following: "Any fees collected under this 
subsection, late payment penalties, the proceeds from the sales of 
samples, and interest earned from the investment of such funds 
* 
shall be credited to the trust fund account that incurs the cost of the 
services provided under this subsection and shall remain available 
without fiscal year limitation to pay the expenses of the Secretary 
incident to providing such services. Such funds may be invested by 
the Secretary in insured or fully collateralized, interest-bearing 
accounts or, at the discretion of the Secretary, by the Secretary of 
the Treasury in United States Government debt instruments.". 
Approved August 28, 1984. 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—S. 2085: 
SENATE REPORT No. 98-395 (Comm. on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry). 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 130 (1984): 
May 2, considered and passed Senate. 
May 21, considered and passed House, amended. 
Aug. 10, Senate concurred in House amendments.