(a) The collection of assessments on concrete masonry units will be the responsibility of the manufacturer who sells the concrete masonry units. There shall be an assessment on the first sale of concrete masonry units only and not on subsequent sales of concrete masonry units already assessed. The manufacturer will be required to collect and remit its individual assessments no less than quarterly. Manufacturers shall identify the total amount due in assessments on all sales receipts, invoices or other commercial documents of sale as a result of the sale of concrete masonry units. Within 180 days of their initial meeting, the Board will provide for review and approval by the Secretary a proposed evaluation and compliance program and its plan to evaluate program effectiveness and to verify compliance with the Act. The evaluation and compliance program will provide the method and metrics that will help determine program effectiveness and will outline the way the Board will receive assessments, how they will verify compliance, determine the best method to track sales, and how to document all actions including the process by which the Board will use to ensure it meets or exceeds the legislatively-mandated disbursement of received assessments.
(b) Such assessments shall be levied at a rate of $0.01 per concrete masonry unit sold by a manufacturer. The Board may make assessments effective as of the effective date of this Order. Submission of funds may be made to the Board within 60 days of the end of the first quarter after the Board is established; thereafter submission of funds will be to the board within 60 days of the end of each quarter.
(c) At any time following the conduct of the initial referendum conducted pursuant to this Order, the assessment rate will be reviewed by the Board and, upon the affirmative vote of two-thirds of voting members of the Board, may be modified; provided that the assessment rate may be raised to a maximum of $0.05 cents per unit, that only one increase may be implemented in any one-year period, and each individual increase may not exceed $0.01
(d) Not less than 50 percent of the assessments (less administration expenses) paid by a manufacturer shall be used to support research, education, and promotion programs and projects in support of the Geographic Region of the manufacturer.
(e) All assessment payments and reports will be submitted to the Board quarterly. All quarterly payments are to be received no later than 60 days after the conclusion of each quarter. A late payment charge shall be imposed on any manufacturer who fails to remit to the Board the total amount for which any such manufacturer is liable on or before the due date established by the Board. In addition to the late payment charge, an interest charge shall be imposed on the outstanding amount for which the manufacturer is liable. The rate of interest and late payment charges shall be specified by the Secretary.
(f) Manufacturers failing to remit total assessments due in a timely manner may also be subject to actions under Federal debt collection procedures.
(g) The Board may authorize other organizations to collect assessments on its behalf with the approval of the Secretary.
(h) The Board shall provide manufacturers submitting assessments under this Order with the opportunity to apply for rebates on assessments remitted to the Board for concrete masonry units not covered by this Order and for assessments remitted to the Board for concrete masonry units sold to a purchaser that subsequently failed to remit payment due to bankruptcy, bad debt or other reasons causing the money intended to be collected from such sale to be uncollectible. Those requesting rebates in such circumstances must provide all necessary documentation as the Board shall determine.