Ch. 28                                  1993 LAWS OF MARYLAND

(b)     The Secretary shall appoint the State Chemist, State Veterinarian, and Chief
of Weights and Measures.

(c)     The Department also includes any other position or unit which is declared
within the Department pursuant to law.

10-105.

(a)     The certified agency shall arrange and manage any referendum conducted
under the provisions of this article and shall bear all expenses in connection with the
referendum.

(b)     Before calling and announcing a referendum, the certified agency shall
determine and publicly announce through the public press at least 60 days before the date
determined for the referendum:

(1)     The date, hours, polling places, and rules and regulations for voting;

(2)     The amount and basis of the assessment proposed to be collected;

(3)     The method by which the authorized assessment shall be collected; and

(4)     How the proceeds shall be administered and the general purposes to
which they shall be applied.

(c)     The agency also shall give direct written notice to every farm organization in
the State and to the county agent in each county in which the agricultural commodity is
grown.

(d) [No annual assessment levied under the provisions of this article may exceed
0.50 percent of the value of the year's production of the agricultural commodity grown by
any person qualifying as a voter.] AN ANNUAL ASSESSMENT LEVIED UNDER THE
PROVISIONS OF THIS SUBTITLE MAY NOT EXCEED;

(1) 0.5 PERCENT OF THE VALUE OF THE YEAR'S PRODUCTION OF THE
AGRICULTURAL COMMODITY GROWN BY ANY PERSON QUALIFYING AS A VOTER;
OR

(2) IN THE CASE OF APPLES, 8 CENTS A BUSHEL FOR FRESH MARKET
APPLES AND 5 CENTS PER 100 POUNDS FOR APPLES USED FOR PROCESSING.

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That Section(s) 10-401
through 10-410, inclusive, and the subtitle "Subtitle 4. Maryland State Apple
Commission" of Article - Agriculture of the Annotated Code of Maryland be repealed.

SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That, notwithstanding any
other provision of this Act, any money remaining in the Apple Merchandising Fund under
§ 10-403 of the Agriculture Article on the effective date of this Act shall remain in the
Fund and shall be transferred to any apple producer certified agency approved by the
Maryland Secretary of Agriculture as provided in § 10-101 of the Agriculture Article
upon the certification of the provider, to be used to promote the use of apples as provided
in § 10-110 of the Agriculture Article.                                                 

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