SECTIONS 27551-27555 - California Statutes

FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL CODE

SECTION 27551-27555

27551. The following persons shall pay to the secretary a maximum
fee of five cents ($0.05) for each 30 dozens of eggs sold as provided
below:
(a) California egg handlers shall pay the fee on all egg sales
from their own production, on eggs purchased or acquired from
California egg producers, and on eggs processed into egg products.
California egg handlers shall not pay a fee on eggs purchased from
out-of-state egg handlers or egg producers.
(b) California egg producers shall pay the fee on all egg sales to
anyone not registered under this chapter as an egg handler, to
out-of-state purchasers, and to egg breaking plants.
(c) Out-of-state egg handlers and producers shall report and pay
the fee on egg sales into California sold to a retailer, producer,
handler, or breaking plant.
(d) Shipments of eggs which are accompanied by a United States
Department of Agriculture certificate of grade and sold to the
federal government or its agencies are exempt from these fees.
(e) Eggs sold to household consumers on the premises where
produced from a total flock size of 500 hens or less are exempt from
these fees.
(f) The assessment provided for in this section shall only be paid
once on any particular egg.

27552. The fees provided in Section 27551 are maximum fees and may
be established at a lower rate by the director at any time the funds
derived from such assessment are more than reasonably necessary to
cover the cost of administration and enforcement of this chapter,
including the maintenance of a reasonable reserve fund for such
purposes.

27553. The secretary may, by regulation, prescribe the frequency of
payment of assessments, the procedures for payment, the procedures
for refunds of payment, and penalties for late payment. However, the
department may triple the assessment for any eggs for which the
required payment has not been made by the established due date. If a
triple assessment is less than five hundred dollars ($500), the
assessment shall be five hundred dollars ($500).

27554. The moneys which are received by the director pursuant to
this chapter shall be deposited in the Department of Food and
Agriculture Fund and shall be used only for the administration and
enforcement of this chapter, including, but not limited to, payments
to commissioners pursuant to Article 5 (commencing with Section
27561). The moneys are exempt from the provisions of Article 2
(commencing with Section 13320) of Chapter 3 of Part 3 of Division 3
of Title 2 of the Government Code.

27555. The director may assess a special fee upon egg handlers who
use descriptive terms on egg containers that require laboratory
analysis to verify the terms. This fee shall be used for laboratory
analysis necessary for label approval and continued surveillance for
compliance with the descriptive terms.