The director may, at the close of each fiscal period which is used by the advisory board for budgetary purposes, refund any money which remains in such fund that is allocable to any particular commodity which is affected by a marketing order or, upon recommendation of the advisory board and with the approval of the director, all or a portion of such money may be carried over into the next succeeding fiscal period if the director finds that such money is required to defray subsequent expenses under the marketing order.
Any refund made pursuant to this section shall be on a pro rata basis made to persons from whom, or on whose behalf, the assessments being refunded were collected. Upon termination by the director of any marketing order, any remaining balances which are not required by the director to defray the expenses of such marketing order, shall be returned by the director upon a pro rata basis, to all persons from whom, or on whose behalf, such assessments were collected unless the director finds that the amounts so returnable are so small as to make impractical the computation and remitting of such pro rata refund to such persons. If the director makes such a finding, he may use the moneys in such fund to defray the expenses which are incurred by him in the formulation, issuance, administration, or enforcement of any subsequent marketing order.
(Amended by Stats. 1971, Ch. 1059.)