REGULATIONS
Vol. 26 Iss. 11 - February 01, 2010

TITLE 2. AGRICULTURE
STATE MILK COMMISSION
Chapter 20
Final Regulation

REGISTRAR'S NOTICE: The State Milk Commission is claiming an exemption from Article 2 (§ 2.2-4006 et seq.) of the Administrative Process Act pursuant to § 2.2-4007.2 of the Code of Virginia. Section 2.2-4007.2 provides that if an agency chooses to amend a regulation to provide the alternative of submitting required documents or payments by electronic means, such action shall be exempt from the operation of Article 2 provided the amended regulation is (i) adopted by December 31, 2010, and (ii) consistent with federal and state law and regulations.

Title of Regulation: 2VAC15-20. Regulations for the Control and Supervision of Virginia's Milk Industry (amending 2VAC15-20-90).

Statutory Authority: § 3.2-3204 of the Code of Virginia.

Effective Date: February 9, 2010.

Agency Contact: Rodney L. Phillips, Administrator, Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Oliver Hill Building, 102 Governor Street, Room 205, Richmond, VA 23218, telephone (804) 786-2013, FAX (804) 786-3779, or email rodney.phillips@vdacs.virginia.gov.

Summary:

This amendment permits the filing of documents required by the regulation in an electronic format specified by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

2VAC15-20-90. Records and reports.

A. Each distributor shall accurately prepare and maintain all records necessary to enable the agency or its representative to determine:

1. The amount, source, grade, butterfat test and price paid for all milk and cream received from all sources. These records must show daily transactions, summarized into monthly totals.

2. The use or disposition of all milk and cream received from all sources. These records must show retail, wholesale and other sales by units and the value received for each group of units shown as daily transactions, summarized into monthly totals.

3. The butterfat tests of each producer's milk made according to this chapter, the date such tests were made and the butterfat test of each commodity sold.

B. Not later than the seventh day of each month all licensees, except retail distributors, shall furnish the agency with information which specifies all receipts and utilization of milk, along with other information as may be required by the agency. This information may be filed with the agency in any of the following approved formats:

1. Agency forms;

2. Federal reports;

3. Licensee generated printouts or reports; and or

4. Computer media (only if the data furnished is compatible with agency hardware and software configurations) An electronic format specified by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS), including, but not limited to, electronic mail or by completing any forms provided online by VDACS.

Additionally, this information must be transmitted to the agency in an agency approved manner in order to meet established deadlines. This information must be compiled from records of a permanent nature and these records shall be subject to audit and inspection by any authorized representative of the approving authority. Not later than the 12th day of each month the agency shall inform each processing general distributor of the classified sales allocated to each producer or cooperative association for the previous month.

C. Each processing general distributor, producer general distributor and distributor shall document in detail each wholesale transaction either in written or electronic form. This documentation shall be maintained for at least six calendar months, or until audited, and be subject to inspection by any authorized representative of the agency.

D. All books and records, defined under Chapter 32 (§ 3.2-3200 et seq.) of Title 3.2 of the Code of Virginia, of all licensed distributors, except retail, producers and cooperative associations of producers shall be subject to audit by any authorized representative of the agency.

E. Information relating to individual distributors, producers or cooperative associations of producers shall be confidential.

F. Cooperative associations shall file with the agency a monthly statement. This statement, to be filed not later than the eighth of the subsequent month, shall list the name, base allotment, and production of each of the cooperative associations associations' baseholding producer members.

G. Cooperative associations shall file with the agency by the seventh of the month a statement which indicates total daily deliveries by day made to licensed processing general distributors for deliveries made in the preceding month.

H. Cooperative associations shall furnish the agency not later than the last day of each month a copy of all billings for milk deliveries to licensed processing general distributors made in the prior month.

VA.R. Doc. No. R10-2051; Filed January 5, 2010, 3:46 p.m.