Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 98 Part 2.djvu/319

 PUBLIC LAW 98-403—AUG. 28, 1984

98 STAT. 1479

Public Law 98-403 98th Congress An Act To provide continuing authority to the Secretary of Agriculture for recovering costs associated with cotton classing services to producers and to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to invest funds derived from fees for certain voluntary grading and inspection services.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled. That, effective for the period beginning October 1, 1984, and ending September 30, 1988, section 3a of the Cotton Statistics and Estimates Act (7 U.S.C. 473a) is amended to read as follows: "SEC. 3a. Effective for the fiscal years ending September 30, 1985, September 30, 1986, September 30, 1987, and September 30, 1988, the Secretary of Agricidture shall make cotton classification services available to producers of cotton and shall provide for the collection of classification fees from participating producers, or from agents who voluntarily agree to collect and remit the fees on behalf of producers. Such fees, together with the proceeds from the sales of samples submitted under this section, shall cover as nearly as practicable the cost of the services provided under this section, including administrative and supervisory costs: Provided, That (1) the uniform per bale classification fee to be collected from producers, or their agents, for such classification service in any year shall not exceed the uniform fee collected in the previous year by more than the percentage increase in the Implicit Price Deflator for Gross National Product as indexed during the most recent twelve-month period for which official statistics are available, and (2) the uniform per bale classification fee shall not be increased for any year if the accumulated reserve exceeds 20 per centum of the cost of the classification program in the previous year. Special classification services provided at the request of the producer shall not be subject to the restrictions specified in clauses (1) and (2) of the preceding sentence. All samples of cotton submitted for classification under this section shall become the property of the United States, and shall be sold: Provided, That such cotton samples shall not be subject to the provisions of the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 (40 U.S.C. 471 et seq.). Any fees collected under this section and under section 3d of this Act, late payment penalties,, the proceeds from the sales of samples, and interest earned from the investment of such funds shall be credited to the current appropriation account that incurs the cost of services provided under this section and section 3d and shall remain avsdlable without fiscal year limitation to pay the expenses of the Secretary incident to providing such services. Such funds may be invested by the Secretary in insured or fully collateralized, interest-bearing accounts or, at the discretion of the Secretary, by the Secretary of the Treasury in United States Government debt instruments. There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this section to the extent that financing is not available from fees and the proceeds from the sales of samples.".

/|^^^„ 28 1984 ' L'^- '^OO&J

7 USC 473d.

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