The director shall annually fix the fees in Section 34302 in an amount not to exceed the actual directly related costs for the supervision and checking required by Section 34301. These costs shall be determined annually from time records and audit procedures set forth in written findings. The written findings shall be available to interested persons for examination.
The director may fix the rate of assessments or fees required by Section 34302 at lesser amounts and may adjust the rates of assessments or fees from time to time whenever he or she finds that the costs of administering this article can be defrayed from the revenues derived from lower rates. However, the rate of assessment deducted from the payments to producers for market milk, including the handler’s own production, and the rate of fees paid by handlers shall at all times be in the ratio of 2 to 1.
The amount of the fee shall be paid to the director on or before the 45th day following the last day of the month in which the market milk was received.