(a) Handler reports and remittances. Each collecting handler shall transmit assessments to the Cotton Board as follows:
(1) Reporting periods. Each calendar month shall be a reporting period and the period shall end on the close of business on the last day of the month.
(2) Reports. Each collecting handler shall make reports on forms made available or approved by the Cotton Board. Each report shall be mailed to the Cotton Board and postmarked within ten days after the close of the reporting period.
(i) Collecting handler report. Each collecting handler shall prepare a separate report form each reporting period for each gin from which such handler handles cotton on which the handler is required to collect the assessments during the reporting period. Each report shall be mailed in duplicate to the Cotton Board and shall contain the following information:
(A) Date of report;
(B) Reporting period covered by report;
(C) Gin code number;
(D) Name and address of handler;
(E) Listing of all producers from whom the handler was required to collect the assessments, their addresses, total number of bales, and total assessment collected and remitted for each producer;
(F) Date of last report remitting assessments to the Cotton Board.
(ii) No cotton purchased report. Each collecting handler shall submit a no cotton purchased report form for each reporting period in which no cotton was handled for which the handler is required to collect assessments during the reporting period. A collecting handler who handles cotton only during certain months shall file a final no cotton purchased report at the conclusion of such handlers marketing season. If a collecting handler handles cotton during any month following submission of the final report for the handlers marketing season, such handler shall send a collecting handler report and remittance to the Cotton Board by the 10th day of the month following the month in which cotton was handled. The no cotton purchased report shall be signed and dated by the handler of the handler's agent.
(3) Remittances. The collecting handler shall remit all assessments to the Cotton Board with the report required in paragraph (a)(2) of this section. All remittances sent to the Cotton Board by collecting handlers shall be made by check, draft, or money order payable to the order of the “Cotton Board”. All remittances shall be received subject to collection and payment at par.
(4) Interest and late payment charges.
(i) There shall be an interest charge, at rates prescribed by the Cotton Board with the approval of the Secretary, on any handler who is sent a second certified mail notice of past-due assessments from the Cotton Board in any one marketing year (August 1-July 31).
(ii) In addition to the interest charge specified in paragraph (a)(4)(i) of this section, there shall be a late payment charge on any handler whose remittance is not received by the Cotton Board within 10 days after the close of the reporting period in which interest charges were first accrued. The late payment charge shall be 5 percent of the unpaid balance before interest charges have accrued.
(iii) The interest and late payment charges on the unremitted assessments for a particular reporting period will be applied from the first working day on or following the 20th day of the month in which the assessments were due.
(b) Importer reports and remittance. The United States Customs Service will transmit reports and assessments collected on imported cotton to the Agricultural Marketing Service according to the agreement between the Customs Service and the Agricultural Marketing Service. Upon the request of the Cotton Board, an importer shall file with the Board a report, for a period of time specified in the request, that includes the following information:
(1) The importer's name and address;
(2) The quantity of cotton and cotton products imported;
(3) The amount of the assessment paid on imported cotton and cotton products;
(4) The amount of imported cotton and cotton products on which the assessment was not paid to the Customs Service.
[57 FR 29190, July 1, 1992]