Article 6. Assessments And Records of California Food And Agricultural Code >> Division 22. >> Part 2. >> Chapter 18. >> Article 6.

(a) The commission shall establish the assessment for the marketing year not later than January 1 of each year or as soon thereafter as is possible.
  (b) The assessment shall not exceed one dollar ($1) per thousand board feet net log scale Scribner Decimal C log rule, or the equivalent thereof, as determined by the commission.
  (c) The producer shall pay the assessment to the commission at the time and in the manner prescribed by the commission.
  (d) An assessment of more than the amount provided for in subdivision (b) may not be charged unless and until a greater assessment is approved pursuant to the vote requirements specified in Section 77602.

Any person requesting an exemption from this chapter shall file an affidavit with the commission attesting that he or she is not a producer. The affidavit shall contain all of the information required by the commission. The commission shall review the affidavit, conduct any additional investigation it deems appropriate, and approve or deny the affidavit. Approval of the affidavit does not exempt the person from the requirements of Section 77623.

Every producer and every person described in subdivision (c) of Section 77528 shall keep a complete and accurate record of all transactions involving the sale or purchase of timber. The records shall be in simple form and contain information as the commission shall prescribe. The records shall be retained by the producer or person for a period of two years and shall be offered and submitted for inspection at any reasonable time upon written demand of the commission or its duly authorized agent.

(a) All proprietary information obtained by the commission or the secretary from producers is confidential and shall not be disclosed except when required by court order after a hearing in a judicial proceeding involving this chapter.
  (b) Information on volume shipments, product value, and any other related information that is required for reports to governmental agencies, financial reports to the commission or aggregate sales and inventory information, and any other information that the commission requires that gives only totals, but excludes individual producer information, may be disclosed by the commission.
  (c) The commission may request that the Governor, by general or special order, authorize examination by the State Board of Equalization of records maintained by the commission, if a reciprocal arrangement exists between the commission and the State Board of Equalization. The information so obtained pursuant to the order of the Governor shall not be made public except to the extent and in the manner that the order authorizes that it be made public.

Any assessment which is levied pursuant to this chapter is a personal debt of every producer so assessed.

Any producer who fails to file a return or pay any assessment within the time required by the commission shall pay to the commission a penalty of 10 percent of the amount of the assessment determined to be due and, in addition, pay 1 1/2 percent interest per month on the unpaid balance.

When the producer is a corporation, all of the directors and officers of the corporation in their capacity as individuals shall be included, and any liability for violating this chapter, including but not limited to, failing to pay assessments or to collect assessments, shall also include identical liability upon each director or officer of the corporation.