Minn. Stat. § 17.59
For the purpose of providing funds to defray the necessary expenses incurred by the commissioner and the council in formulating, submitting to referendum, issuing, administering and enforcing a promotional order, the promotional order shall provide for checkoff fees in amounts sufficient to defray such expenses, and shall indicate the maximum checkoff rate which shall not exceed one percent of the market value of the year's production of participating producers. Any increase in the maximum checkoff provided for in the promotional order must be within the limit herein prescribed and must be approved by the majority of voting participating producers in a referendum held for that purpose after reasonable notice of such proposed increase.
The commissioner shall establish the procedure for the timely payment of the checkoff fee by the producer to the council. The procedure shall be clearly outlined in the proposed promotional order. The procedure must be fair, reasonable and the checkoff fee shall be deducted by the first purchaser at the time of sale. The first purchaser shall submit to the council any checkoff fees so deducted once every 30 days in accordance with the commissioner's rules.
The commissioner shall require producers petitioning for a promotional order to deposit in advance an amount necessary to defray the expense of electing the first council, formulating an order, submitting it to referendum and issuing the order. Funds received for that purpose shall be deposited in the commodity research and promotion account. If the order is issued, the producers shall be reimbursed when funds are available from assessments. If the order is not issued the commissioner shall refund only that portion of the deposit remaining after payment of expenses incurred on a pro rata basis.
Checkoff fees collected pursuant to sections 17.51 to 17.69 shall be deposited in a federally insured depository institution and shall be disbursed by the officers and employees approved by the council for the necessary expenses incurred in the administration of sections 17.51 to 17.69. Checkoff fees collected shall be used exclusively for the purpose collected and not to support or oppose a political party or a candidate for nomination or election to a public office.
All fees collected by the department under sections 17.51 to 17.69 and any other fees and income received by the department in the administration of these statutes shall be deposited in a separate account known as the commodity research and promotion account in the agricultural fund. Money in the account, including interest, is appropriated to the commissioner to carry out the duties of sections 17.51 to 17.69.
Minn. Stat. § 17.59
1969 c 1021 s 9; 1976 c 149 s 62 subd 2; 1981 c 41 s 1-3; 1981 c 356 s 256; 1982 c 582 s 6-8; 1987 c 384 art 2 s 5; 1989 c 350 art 5 s 1; 1993 c 172 s 21; 1999 c 231 s 31