§2712 Refund of Assessment From Egg Board

Summary

If an egg producer does not want to support the egg program, the producer can ask the Egg Board to give back the assessment paid on their commercial eggs. The producer must ask in person, use the Board’s approved form and follow its rules, and make the request no later than 90 days after the end of the month when the assessments were due. The producer must show proof they paid the assessment. The Egg Board must give the refund within 60 days after it gets the request. The Secretary must change any order that lets producers get refunds so that refunds are removed. That change starts the day it is issued and cannot be voted on for 18 months. From that day until the vote, the Egg Board must open an escrow account and put into it 10 percent of the assessments collected in that time. If the change is not approved in the later vote, any producer who paid assessments in that period and does not support the program can make one claim for a refund under the Board’s rules and with proof of payment. If the escrow does not have enough money to pay everyone, refunds will be split pro rata.