§7958 Miscellaneous provisions

Summary

All peanuts sold in the United States must be officially inspected and graded by Federal or Federal‑State inspectors. The Peanut Administrative Committee that used to run those programs is ended. The Secretary must create a Peanut Standards Board to advise on quality and handling rules for both U.S. and imported peanuts. The Board will have 18 members, split evenly between peanut producers and peanut industry representatives. The Secretary will appoint 3 producer members and 3 industry members from each of three regions: Southeast (Alabama, Georgia, Florida), Southwest (Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico), and Virginia/Carolina (Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina). Members serve 3‑year terms. For the first set of appointments, terms are staggered so one producer and one industry member from each region serve 1 year, one serve 2 years, and one serve 3 years. The Secretary must consult the Board before setting or changing standards. The Board is exempt from Chapter 10 of title 5. The Secretary must make finding and fixing all peanut quality concerns a priority when making standards and inspecting peanuts, and must work with other Federal and State agencies to protect against quality problems. Imported peanuts must meet the same standards as domestic peanuts. Money needed to carry out these rules may be appropriated. Board expenses generally do not count against any broad advisory‑committee spending limits unless a law specifically names the Board. During the transition starting May 13, 2002, current Peanut Administrative Committee members may be named to the new Board and their funds moved over; the transition ends when new members are appointed or 180 days after May 13, 2002, whichever is earlier. These rules take effect with the 2002 peanut crop.