§ 1240.38 - Duties.

The Board shall have, among other things, the following duties:

(a) To meet and organize and to select from among its members a chairperson and such other officers as may be necessary; to select committees and subcommittees from its membership and consultants; to adopt such rules, regulations, and by-laws for the conduct of its business as it may deem advisable.

(b) To employ such persons as it may deem necessary and to determine the compensation and define the duties of each; and to protect the handling of Board funds through fidelity bonds;

(c) To prepare and submit to the Secretary for approval 60 days in advance of the beginning of a fiscal period, a budget of its anticipated expenses in the administration of this part including the probable costs of all programs and plans and to recommend a rate of assessment with respect thereto;

(d) To investigate violations of this part and report the results of such investigations to the Secretary for appropriate action to enforce the provisions of this part;

(e) To develop programs and plans and to enter into contracts or agreements with the approval of the Secretary for the development and carrying out of programs and plans of research, promotion, advertising, consumer education, or industry information and the payment of the costs thereof with funds collected pursuant to this part;

(f) To maintain minutes, books, and records and prepare and submit to the Secretary such reports from time to time as may be required for appropriate accounting with respect to the receipt and disbursement of funds entrusted to it;

(g) To periodically prepare and make public and to make available to producers, handlers, producer-packers, and importers, reports of its activities carried out and, at least once each fiscal period, to make public an accounting of funds received and expended;

(h) To cause its books to be audited by a certified public accountant at the end of each fiscal period and to submit a copy of each audit to the Secretary;

(i) To give to the Secretary the same notice of meetings of the Board and subcommittees as is given to members in order that representatives of the Secretary may attend such meetings;

(j) To submit to the Secretary such information pertaining to this subpart as the Secretary may request;

(k) To notify honey producers, producer-packers, handlers, and importers of all Board meetings through press releases or other means;

(l) To appoint and convene, from time to time, working committees which may include producers, handlers, producer-packers, importers, exporters, members of wholesale or retail outlets for honey, or other members of the public to assist in the development of research, promotion, advertising, consumer education, and industry information programs for honey; and

(m) To develop and recommend such rules and regulations to the Secretary for approval as may be necessary for the development and execution of plans or activities to effectuate the declared purpose of the Act.