(a) The producer assessments shall be collected by the first handler that purchases, or otherwise acquires possession or control of, the milk by deducting the assessment from any payment that is due to the producer for the milk. Each producer-handler shall pay the assessment on the producer-handler’s own production. For the purposes of this article, a handler that sells unprocessed milk, of which the handler has the right to possession or control by contract or otherwise, to another handler, and delivers this milk in unprocessed form to the other handler or causes this milk to be delivered to the other handler directly from the producer, is the first handler of this milk.
(b) (1) When the stand-alone quota program, provided pursuant to Section 62757, is in effect, the assessment of each producer for all milk shall be determined on the total solids-not-fat of milk produced and delivered.
(2) When the stand-alone quota program, provided pursuant to Section 62757, is not in effect, the assessment of each producer for all milk shall be determined on the total hundredweight of milk produced and delivered.
(c) The collection of assessments to be paid by handlers, including producer-handlers, pursuant to Section 64303 shall be used for the handler portion of council assessments only, and shall not affect payments of producers, nor in any way change the method of producer payment for milk.
(Amended by Stats. 2019, Ch. 304, Sec. 101. (AB 590) Effective January 1, 2020.)