There is hereby levied on every hundredweight of class I or class II milk, as defined in RCW 15.44.087, sold by a dealer, including any milk sold by a producer who acts as a dealer, an assessment of:

(1) Five-eighths of one cent per hundredweight. Such assessment shall be in addition to the producer assessment paid by any producer who also acts as a dealer.

(2) Any additional assessment, within the power and duty of the commission to levy, such that the total assessment shall not exceed one cent per hundredweight, as required to effectuate the purpose of this section.

Such assessment may be increased by approval of dealers and producers who also act as dealers, subject to the standards set forth in chapter 15.44 RCW for increasing or decreasing assessments. The funds derived from such assessment shall be used for educational programs and the sum of such funds derived annually from said dealers and producers who act as dealers shall be matched by assessments derived from producers for the purpose of funding the educational purposes by an amount not less than the moneys collected from dealers and producers who act as dealers.

Effective dates—2002 c 313: See note following RCW 15.65.020.

Severability—1979 ex.s. c 238: See note following RCW 15.44.010.