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Title 7

Displaying title 7, up to date as of 6/04/2026. Title 7 was last amended 6/02/2026.
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Expenses and Assessments

§ 989.79 Expenses.

The Committee is authorized to incur such expenses as the Secretary finds are reasonable and likely to be incurred by it during each crop year, for the maintenance and functioning of the Committee and for such purposes as he may, pursuant to this subpart, determine to be appropriate. The funds to cover such expenses shall be obtained levying assessments as provided in § 989.80. The Committee shall file with the Secretary for each crop year a proposed budget of these expenses and a proposal as to the assessment rate to be fixed pursuant to § 989.80, together with a report thereon. Such filing shall be not later than October 5 of the crop year, but this date may be extended by the Committee not more than 5 days if warranted by a late crop.

[83 FR 53971, Oct. 26, 2018]

§ 989.80 Assessments.

(a) Each handler shall pay to the Committee, upon demand, his pro rata share of the expenses which the Secretary finds will be incurred, as aforesaid, by the Committee during each crop year less any amounts credited pursuant to § 989.53. Such handler's pro rata share of such expenses shall be equal to the ratio between the total raisin tonnage acquired by such handler during the applicable crop year and the total raisin tonnage acquired by all handlers during the same crop year.

(b) Each handler who reconditions off-grade raisins but does not acquire the standard raisins recovered therefrom shall, with respect to his assessable portion of all such standard raisins, pay to the Committee, upon demand, his pro rata share of the expenses which the Secretary finds will be incurred by the Committee each crop year. Such handler's pro rata share of such expenses shall be equal to the ratio between the handler's assessable portion (which shall be a quantity equal to such handler's standard raisins which are acquired by some other handler or handlers) during the applicable crop year and the total raisin tonnage acquired by all handlers.

(c) The Secretary shall fix the rate of assessment to be paid by all handlers on the basis of a specified rate per ton. At any time during or after a crop year, the Secretary may increase the rate of assessment to obtain sufficient funds to cover any later finding by the Secretary relative to the expenses of the committee. Each handler shall pay such additional assessment to the committee upon demand. In order to provide funds to carry out the functions of the committee, the committee may accept advance payments from any handler to be credited toward such assessments as may be levied pursuant to this section against such handler during the crop year. In the event cash flow needs of the committee are above cash available generated by handler assessments, the committee may borrow from a commercial lending institution. The payment of assessments for the maintenance and functioning of the committee, and for such purposes as the Secretary may pursuant to this subpart determine to be appropriate, may be required under this part throughout the period it is in effect, irrespective of whether particular provisions thereof are suspended or become inoperative.

(d) Each handler shall, with respect to administrative assessments not paid within 30 calendar days of the date of the Committee's invoice, pay to the Committee interest on the unpaid assessment at the rate of the prime rate established by the bank in which the Committee has its administrative assessment funds deposited, on the day that the administrative assessment becomes delinquent plus 2 percent; and further, that such rate of interest be added to the bill monthly until the delinquent handler's assessment plus applicable interest has been paid: Provided, That the Committee may, with the approval of the Secretary, modify the interest rate applicable to delinquent handler's assessment through the establishment of applicable rules and regulations.

[29 FR 9484, July 11, 1964, as amended at 32 FR 12165, Aug. 24, 1967; 42 FR 37202, July 20, 1977; 48 FR 32978, July 20, 1983; 81 FR 44764, July 11, 2016; 83 FR 53971, Oct. 26, 2018; 86 FR 26438, May 14, 2021]

§ 989.81 Accounting.

(a) If, at the end of the crop year, the assessments collected are in excess of expenses incurred, such excess shall be accounted for in accordance with one of the following:

(1) If such excess is not retained in a reserve, as provided in paragraph (a)(2) of this section, it shall be refunded proportionately to the persons from whom collected in accordance with § 989.80; Provided, That any sum paid by a person in excess of his or her pro rata share of expenses during any crop year may be applied by the Committee at the end of such crop year as credit for such person, toward the Committee's administrative operations for the following crop year; Provided further, That the Committee may credit the excess to any outstanding obligations due the Committee from such person.

(2) The Committee may carry over such excess funds into subsequent crop years as a reserve; Provided, That funds already in the reserve do not exceed one crop year's budgeted expenses as averaged over the past six years. In the event that funds exceed one crop year's expenses, funds in excess of one crop year's budgeted expenses shall be distributed in accordance with paragraph (a)(1) of this section. Such funds may be used:

(i) To defray essential administrative expenses (i.e., staff wages/salaries and related benefits, office rent, utilities, postage, insurance, legal expenses, audit costs, consulting, Web site operation and maintenance, office supplies, repairs and maintenance, equipment leases, domestic staff travel and Committee mileage reimbursement, international Committee travel, international staff travel, bank charges, computer software and programming, costs of compliance activities, and other similar essential administrative expenses) exclusive of promotional expenses during any crop year, prior to the time assessment income is sufficient to cover such expenses;

(ii) To cover deficits incurred during any period when assessment income is less than expenses;

(iii) To defray expenses incurred during any period when any or all provisions of this part are suspended;

(iv) To meet any other such expenses recommended by the Committee and approved by the Secretary; and

(v) To cover the necessary expenses of liquidation in the event of termination of this part. Upon such termination, any funds not required to defray the necessary expenses of liquidation shall be disposed of in such manner as the Secretary may determine to be appropriate; Provided, That to the extent practicable, such funds shall be returned pro rata to the persons from whom such funds were collected.

(b) The Committee may, with the approval of the Secretary, maintain in its own name or in the name of its members, a suit against any handler for the collection of such handler's pro rata share of the expenses.

[25 FR 12813, Dec. 14, 1960; 27 FR 2506, Mar. 16, 1962, as amended at 81 FR 44764, July 11, 2016]

§ 989.82 [Reserved]

§ 989.83 Funds.

All funds received by the Committee pursuant to the provisions of this part, shall be used solely for the purposes authorized, and shall be accounted for in the manner provided, in this part. The Secretary may, at any time, require the Committee and its members and alternate members to account for all receipts and disbursements.