§157-23  License fees.  In order to meetthe expenditures necessary to administer this chapter, the board of agricultureshall establish license fees to be paid by producers, producer-distributors anddistributors.  In determining these fees, the board shall, at least thirty daysbefore the new license year begins:

(1)  Project the reasonable expenditures necessary toadminister the chapter for the license year;

(2)  Project the amount to be paid by applicants fororiginal or renewal licenses for the license year;

(3)  Project the reasonable expenditures necessary toconduct an independent monthly audit;

(4)  Estimate the total volume of milk to be producedand processed for the license year;

(5)  Using (1), (2), (3), and (4) above, establish areasonable rate per hundred-weight or other unit as determined by the board;and

(6)  Collect such fees monthly, or at such otherintervals as may be determined by the board, during the license year based onactual milk produced and processed.

To facilitate the collection of license fees,the board may require a producer-distributor or distributor to withhold fromany payment owing to any producer a part or all of the license fee due underthis chapter by such producer.  For any such withholding required by the board,the producer-distributor or distributor shall be paid a reasonable fee by theboard.  The amount of the fee shall be set by the board.  An agriculturalcooperative all of whose producer-members have complied with the licensingprovisions of this chapter shall be exempt from the payment of the license fee.[L 1967, c 260, §14; HRS §157-23; am L 1977, c 65, §5; am L 1988, c 25, §3]