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1999 SESSION

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HB 2566 Apples.

Introduced by: John J. Davies III | all patrons    ...    notes | add to my profiles | history

SUMMARY AS PASSED:

Apples. Changes the way members of the Virginia State Apple Board are elected, combines excise taxes currently paid by apple producers and apple packers so that the tax is paid only by apple producers, and updates provisions relating to the Board, the excise tax and the packing and labeling of apples. The penalty for shipping apples that have been improperly marked and prohibited from being shipped by the Board of Agriculture and Consumer Services is increased from $500 to the regular penalty for a Class 1 misdemeanor. Apple producers are required to submit semiannual reports rather than yearly reports to the Board. The Board can require that the records producers are currently required to keep be submitted to the Board, and failure to make the records available to the Board is a Class 3 misdemeanor. The fund into which the excise taxes are paid, the Apple Merchandising Fund, is renamed the Apple Fund. The Fund is administered by the Board, which currently has six members representing six apple-producing districts; under the bill, it will have nine members representing three apple-producing districts. Of the three members representing each district, one will be elected in a referendum in which each eligible producer has one vote, one will be elected in a referendum in which each producer has one vote for each 500 bushels he produced, and one will be elected in a referendum in which each producer has one vote for each $100 in excise taxes he paid. The bill also provides an exemption from the Freedom of Information Act for apple producer reports and records submitted to the Board. The bill contains technical amendments.

SUMMARY AS PASSED HOUSE:

Apples. Changes the way members of the Virginia State Apple Board are elected, combines excise taxes currently paid by apple producers and apple packers so that the tax is paid only by apple producers, and updates provisions relating to the Board, the excise tax and the packing and labeling of apples. The penalty for shipping apples that have been improperly marked and prohibited from being shipped by the Board of Agriculture and Consumer Services is increased from $500 to the regular penalty for a Class 1 misdemeanor. Apple producers are required to submit semiannual reports rather than yearly reports to the Board. The Board can require that the records producers are currently required to keep be submitted to the Board, and failure to make the records available to the Board is a Class 3 misdemeanor. The fund into which the excise taxes are paid, the Apple Merchandising Fund, is renamed the Apple Fund. The Fund is administered by the Board, which currently has six members representing six apple-producing districts; under the bill, it will have nine members representing three apple-producing districts. Of the three members representing each district, one will be elected in a referendum in which each eligible producer has one vote, one will be elected in a referendum in which each producer has one vote for each 500 bushels he produced, and one will be elected in a referendum in which each producer has one vote for each $100 in excise taxes he paid. The bill also provides an exemption from the Freedom of Information Act for apple producer reports and records submitted to the Board. The bill contains technical amendments.

SUMMARY AS INTRODUCED:

Apples. Changes the way members of the Virginia State Apple Board are elected, combines excise taxes currently paid by apple producers and apple packers so that the tax is paid only by apple producers, and updates provisions relating to the Board, the excise tax and the packing and labeling of apples. The penalty for shipping apples that have been improperly marked and prohibited from being shipped by the Board of Agriculture and Consumer Services is increased from $500 to the regular penalty for a Class 1 misdemeanor. Apple packers and producers are currently required to submit yearly reports to the Board; under the bill, producers will have to submit semiannual reports and packers will have to submit annual reports. Currently, producers and packers must keep records for two years of all apples handled; under the bill, apple processors will also have to keep such records, and the Board can require that the records be submitted to the Board. Failure to make the records available to the Board is a Class 3 misdemeanor. The fund the excise taxes are paid into, the Apple Merchandising Fund, is renamed the Apple Fund. The Fund is administered by the Board, which currently has six members representing six apple-producing districts; under the bill, it will have nine members representing three apple-producing districts. Of the three members representing each district, one will be elected in a referendum in which each eligible producer has one vote, one will be elected in a referendum in which each producer has one vote for each 500 bushels he produced, and one will be elected in a referendum in which each producer has one vote for each $100 in excise taxes he paid. The bill also provides an exemption from the Freedom of Information Act for apple producer reports and records submitted to the Board. The bills contains technical amendments.