Section 55601.8.

(a) The secretary shall not release, or otherwise make available, any information furnished by a cooperative or an individual processor under Section 55601.7 or this section, including information relating to the weighted average prices paid, except in proceedings brought against the processor by the secretary for the purpose of enforcing this section.

(b) The secretary shall (1) enforce the collection of the information required in Section 55601.7, (2) on or before January 15, publish a summary report for freestone peaches used for freezing and drying and, (3) on or before October 20, publish a summary report for walnuts, raisins, and prunes, reflecting the statistics derived from the processor reports. The summary reports shall include summaries of all information required to be furnished to the secretary.

(c) The secretary may dispense with the reporting requirements and his or her duties to enforce the collection of this information and the publishing of summary reports if the secretary determines that the same or similar information is made public information within the same time periods of subdivision (b) by any federal or state committee or organization responsible for regulating the handling of any of the commodities subject to this section.

(d) (1) To provide funds to carry out Section 55601.7 and this section, each processor, including agricultural cooperatives, subject to these reporting requirements shall pay to the secretary the amount determined by the secretary to be necessary to cover these costs, but not to exceed twelve cents ($0.12) per fresh ton for freestone peaches, twelve cents ($0.12) per dry ton for raisins and prunes, and twelve cents ($0.12) per inshell dry ton for walnuts handled by the processor during each marketing season.

(2) (A) The amount of the fee for freestone peaches used for freezing and drying shall be paid to the secretary on or before December 10 for all freestone peaches used for freezing and drying received from April 1 through November 30.

(B) The amount of the fee for any freestone peaches used for freezing and drying received from December 1 to March 31, inclusive, shall be paid to the secretary on or before May 1 of the next marketing season.

(C) The amount of the fee shall be paid to the secretary on or before May 1 of each year for all other commodities received from September 1 to March 31, inclusive.

(D) The amount of the fee for any other commodity received from April 1 to August 31, inclusive, shall be paid to the secretary on or before September 1 of the next marketing season.

(3) The secretary may fix the fee at a lesser amount and may adjust the fee from marketing season to marketing season. Any processor who fails, neglects, or refuses to pay the required fee is in violation of this chapter. Any such processor shall not pass the penalty on to the producer of the commodity.

(4) All funds received under this subdivision shall be deposited in the State Treasury to the credit of the Department of Food and Agriculture Fund.

(e) If the secretary finds that any processor has failed, refused, or neglected to provide the information required by this section, the secretary may proceed in accordance with Article 11 (commencing with Section 55721).

(f) Any cooperative subject to the reporting provisions of this section shall, in lieu of reporting prices, report all advances and other payments made as of the reporting date and its good faith estimate of the market value of the commodity for the crop year.

(g) The willful failure of any processor to report to the secretary, as required by this section, is a violation of this chapter and is a separate and distinct violation of this chapter for each day the processor fails to meet the reporting requirements.

(h) For the purpose of Section 55601.7 and this section, "marketing season" means the crop year that runs from September 1 to August 31, inclusive, for walnuts, raisins, and prunes, and the crop year that runs from April 1 to March 31, inclusive, for freestone peaches.

(Amended by Stats. 1997, Ch. 135, Sec. 3. Effective July 28, 1997.)