Title 7 — AgricultureRelease 119-73
§7253 Consolidation and reform of Federal milk marketing orders
Title 7 › Chapter CHAPTER 100— - AGRICULTURAL MARKET TRANSITION › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER IV— - OTHER COMMODITIES › Part Part A— - Dairy › § 7253
Summary
The Secretary must cut and reshape the Federal milk marketing orders so there are at least 10 and no more than 14 orders. California can become its own separate order if California dairy producers ask and it is approved. That California order may reblend milk and handle receipts to reflect quota value, and the timing rules below do not apply to that California authority. As part of the consolidation, the Secretary may adopt changes like using utilization rates and multiple basing points for fluid milk prices and using uniform multiple-component pricing when making basic formula prices for manufacturing milk. The Secretary may not base decisions on the table in section 608c(5)(A). The Secretary must use the notice-and-comment process under section 553 of title 5, must announce proposed changes no later than 2 years after April 4, 1996, and must put the changes into effect no later than 3 years after April 4, 1996. Any court-ordered delay adds the same amount of time to these deadlines. If the Secretary misses the deadline (including any added time for court delays), the Secretary cannot collect assessments from milk producers or handlers for marketing order administration after that deadline until the consolidation is finished. The level of services must not be cut because of the halt in assessments, and the Secretary must pay for those services from funds available to the Agricultural Marketing Service. The Secretary must also send Congress a report by April 1, 1997, reviewing the order system, describing progress on the reforms, and giving any recommended changes. Limits in other laws on reports do not apply to this report unless they specifically name this section.
Full Legal Text
Title 7, §7253
Agriculture — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)(1)The Secretary shall amend Federal milk marketing orders issued under section 608c of this title to limit the number of Federal milk marketing orders to not less than 10 and not more than 14 orders.
(2)Upon the petition and approval of California dairy producers in the manner provided in section 608c of this title, the Secretary shall designate the State of California as a separate Federal milk marketing order. The order covering California shall have the right to reblend and distribute order receipts to recognize quota value. Subsection (b) does not apply to the authority of the Secretary under this subsection.
(3)Among the issues the Secretary is authorized to implement as part of the consolidation of Federal milk marketing orders are the following:
(A)The use of utilization rates and multiple basing points for the pricing of fluid milk.
(B)The use of uniform multiple component pricing when developing 1 or more basic formula prices for manufacturing milk.
(4)In implementing the consolidation of Federal milk marketing orders and related reforms under this subsection, the Secretary may not consider, or base any decision on, the table contained in section 608c(5)(A) of this title.
(b)(1)To implement the consolidation of Federal milk marketing orders and related reforms under subsection (a), the Secretary shall use the notice and comment procedures provided in section 553 of title 5.
(2)(A)The Secretary shall announce the proposed amendments to be made under subsection (a) not later than 2 years after April 4, 1996.
(B)The Secretary shall implement the amendments not later than 3 years after April 4, 1996.
(3)The actions authorized by this subsection are intended to ensure the timely publication and implementation of new and amended Federal milk marketing orders. In the event that the Secretary is enjoined or otherwise restrained by a court order from publishing or implementing the consolidation and related reforms under subsection (a), the length of time for which that injunction or other restraining order is effective shall be added to the time limitations specified in paragraph (2) thereby extending those time limitations by a period of time equal to the period of time for which the injunction or other restraining order is effective.
(c)If the Secretary fails to implement the consolidation required under subsection (a)(1) within the time period required under subsection (b)(2)(B) (plus any additional period provided under subsection (b)(3)), the Secretary may not assess or collect assessments from milk producers or handlers under such section 608c of this title for marketing order administration and services provided under such section after the end of that period until the consolidation is completed. The Secretary may not reduce the level of services provided under the section on account of the prohibition against assessments, but shall rather cover the cost of marketing order administration and services through funds available for the Agricultural Marketing Service of the Department.
(d)(1)Not later than April 1, 1997, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report—
(A)reviewing the Federal milk marketing order system established pursuant to section 608c of this title in light of the reforms required by subsection (a);
(B)describing the efforts underway and the progress made in implementing the reforms required by subsection (a); and
(C)containing such recommendations as the Secretary considers appropriate for further improvements and reforms to the Federal milk marketing order system.
(2)Any limitation imposed by Act of Congress on the conduct or completion of reports to Congress shall not apply to the report required under this section, unless the limitation specifically refers to this section.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
Amendments
2014—Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 113–79 inserted at end “Subsection (b) does not apply to the authority of the Secretary under this subsection.”
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Use of Option 1A as Price Structure for Class I Milk Under Consolidated Federal Milk Marketing Orders Pub. L. 106–113, div. B, § 1000(a)(8) [§ 1], Nov. 29, 1999, 113 Stat. 1536, 1501A–517, provided that: “(a) Final Rule Defined.—In this section, the term ‘final rule’ means the final rule for the consolidation and reform of Federal milk marketing orders that was published in the Federal Register on
September 1, 1999 (64 Fed. Reg. 47897–48021), to comply with section 143 of the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 (7 U.S.C. 7253). “(b) Implementation of Final Rule for Milk Order Reform.—Subject to subsection (c), the final rule shall take effect, and be implemented by the Secretary of Agriculture, on the first day of the first month beginning at least 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act [Nov. 29, 1999]. “(c) Use of Option 1A for Pricing Class I Milk.—In lieu of the Class I price differentials specified in the final rule, the Secretary of Agriculture shall price fluid or Class I milk under the Federal milk marketing orders using the Class I price differentials identified as Option 1A ‘Location-Specific Differentials Analysis’ in the proposed rule published in the Federal Register on
January 30, 1998 (63 Fed. Reg. 4802, 4809), except that the Secretary shall include the corrections and modifications to such Class I differentials made by the Secretary through
April 2, 1999. “(d) Effect of Prior Announcement of Minimum Prices.—If the Secretary of Agriculture announces minimum prices for milk under Federal milk marketing orders pursuant to section 1000.50 of title 7, Code of Federal
Regulations
, before the
Effective Date
specified in subsection (b), the minimum prices so announced before that date shall be the only applicable minimum prices under Federal milk marketing orders for the month or months for which the prices have been announced. “(e) Implementation of Requirement.—The implementation of the final rule, as modified by subsection (c), shall not be subject to any of the following:“(1) The notice and hearing requirements of section 8c(3) of the Agricultural Adjustment Act (7 U.S.C. 608c(3)), reenacted with
Amendments
by the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937, or the notice and comment provisions of section 553 of title 5, United States Code. “(2) A referendum conducted by the Secretary of Agriculture pursuant to subsections (17) or (19) of section 8c of the Agricultural Adjustment Act (7 U.S.C. 608c), reenacted with
Amendments
by the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937. “(3) The Statement of Policy of the Secretary of Agriculture effective
July 24, 1971 (36 Fed. Reg. 13804), relating to notices of proposed rulemaking and public participation in rulemaking. “(4) Chapter 35 of title 44, United States Code (commonly known as the Paperwork Reduction Act). “(5) Any decision, restraining order, or injunction issued by a United States court before the date of the enactment of this Act [Nov. 29, 1999].” Further Rulemaking To Develop Pricing Methods for Class III and Class IV Milk Under Marketing Orders Pub. L. 106–113, div. B, § 1000(a)(8) [§ 2], Nov. 29, 1999, 113 Stat. 1536, 1501A–518, provided that: “(a) Congressional Finding.—The Class III and Class IV milk pricing formulas included in the final decision for the consolidation and reform of Federal milk marketing orders, as published in the Federal Register on
April 2, 1999 (64 Fed. Reg. 16025), do not adequately reflect public comment on the original proposed rule published in the Federal Register on
January 30, 1998 (63 Fed. Reg. 4802), and are sufficiently different from the proposed rule and any comments submitted with regard to the proposed rule that further emergency rulemaking is merited. “(b) Rulemaking Required.—The Secretary of Agriculture shall conduct rulemaking, on the record after an opportunity for an agency hearing, to reconsider the Class III and Class IV milk pricing formulas included in the final rule for the consolidation and reform of Federal milk marketing orders that was published in the Federal Register on
September 1, 1999 (64 Fed. Reg. 47897–48021). “(c) Time Period for Rulemaking.—On
December 1, 2000, the Secretary of Agriculture shall publish in the Federal Register a final decision on the Class III and Class IV milk pricing formulas. The resulting formulas shall take effect, and be implemented by the Secretary, on
January 1, 2001. “(d) Effect of Court Order.—The actions authorized by subsections (b) and (c) are intended to ensure the timely publication and implementation of new pricing formulas for Class III and Class IV milk. In the event that the Secretary of Agriculture is enjoined or otherwise restrained by a court order from implementing a final decision within the time period specified in subsection (c), the length of time for which that injunction or other restraining order is effective shall be added to the time limitations specified in subsection (c) thereby extending those time limitations by a period of time equal to the period of time for which the injunction or other restraining order is effective. “(e) Failure To Timely Complete Rulemaking.—If the Secretary of Agriculture fails to implement new Class III and Class IV milk pricing formulas within the time period required under subsection (c) (plus any additional period provided under subsection (d)), the Secretary may not assess or collect assessments from milk producers or handlers under section 8c of the Agricultural Adjustment Act (7 U.S.C. 608c), reenacted with
Amendments
by the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937, for marketing order administration and services provided under such section after the end of that period until the pricing formulas are implemented. The Secretary may not reduce the level of services provided under that section on account of the prohibition against assessments, but shall rather cover the cost of marketing order administration and services through funds available for the Agricultural Marketing Service of the Department. “(f) Implementation of Requirement.—The implementation of the final decision on new Class III and Class IV milk pricing formulas shall not be subject to congressional review under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code.”
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
7 U.S.C. § 7253
Title 7 — Agriculture
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73