(a) In the event the required number of cotton producers approve, by a referendum as provided hereunder, the levying of an assessment upon the ginning of cotton for a promotional program, the Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries shall, within 30 days, notify in writing every person engaged in the business of ginning cotton in Alabama that on or after the date designated in such notice, which shall not be less than 30 nor more than 60 days after the mailing of such notice by the Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries, the amount of the assessment levied pursuant to the referendum shall be collected by all ginners of cotton when such cotton is ginned within the state.
(b) For the purposes of this article, the word "ginner" shall mean any person, partnership, corporation or cooperative association, public or private, which gins cotton, whether for hire or for itself only.
(c) On or before the fifteenth day after the completion of its ginning season, and in no event later than January 15 of each year, every ginner shall remit all assessments collected pursuant to this article during the ginning season to the Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries. If a ginner gins any cotton after January 15 in any year, then the assessment levied hereunder on such cotton shall be remitted to the Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries not later than fifteen days after such ginning.
(d) The books and records of all such ginners of cotton subject to the collection of assessments levied hereunder shall at all times during regular business hours be open for inspection by the Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries or his duly authorized representatives or agents for the purpose of ascertaining the accuracy of amounts remitted hereunder. The Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries shall be entitled to deduct three percent of all sums remitted to the Department of Agriculture and Industries under this article to defray expenses incident to collection and administration thereof. The amount thus deducted by the commissioner for expenses incident to the administration of this article shall be paid into the State Treasury to the credit of the Agricultural Fund.
Last modified: May 3, 2021