--- kind: "section" citation: "7 U.S.C. § 7415" title: "7" title_heading: "Agriculture" number: "7415" heading: "Permissive terms in orders" release: "119-102" date: "2026-07-12" url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/7/7415" units: - "Chapter 101 — Agricultural Promotion" - "Subchapter II — Issuance of Orders for Promotion, Research, and Information Activities Regarding Agricultural Commodities" --- # §7415. Permissive terms in orders - (a) **Exemptions—** An [order](/usc/7/7412.md?p=9) issued under this subchapter may contain— - (1) authority for the [Secretary](/usc/7/7412.md?p=14) to exempt from the [order](/usc/7/7412.md?p=9) any de minimis quantity of an [agricultural commodity](/usc/7/7412.md?p=1) otherwise covered by the [order](/usc/7/7412.md?p=9); and - (2) authority for the [board](/usc/7/7412.md?p=2) established under the [order](/usc/7/7412.md?p=9) to require satisfactory safeguards against improper use of the exemption. - (b) **Different payment and reporting schedules—** An [order](/usc/7/7412.md?p=9) issued under this subchapter may contain authority for the [board](/usc/7/7412.md?p=2) established under the [order](/usc/7/7412.md?p=9) to designate different payment and reporting schedules to recognize differences in [agricultural commodity](/usc/7/7412.md?p=1) industry marketing practices and procedures used in different production and importing areas. - (c) **Activities—** An [order](/usc/7/7412.md?p=9) issued under this subchapter may contain authority to develop and carry out [research](/usc/7/7412.md?p=13), [promotion](/usc/7/7412.md?p=12), and [information](/usc/7/7412.md?p=7) activities designed to expand, improve, or make more efficient the marketing or use of the [agricultural commodity](/usc/7/7412.md?p=1) covered by the [order](/usc/7/7412.md?p=9) in domestic and foreign [markets](/usc/7/7412.md?p=8). [Section 7414(e) of this title](/usc/7/7414.md?p=e) shall apply with respect to activities authorized under this subsection. - (d) **Reserve funds—** An [order](/usc/7/7412.md?p=9) issued under this subchapter may contain authority to reserve funds from assessments collected under [section 7416 of this title](/usc/7/7416.md) to permit an effective and continuous coordinated program of [research](/usc/7/7412.md?p=13), [promotion](/usc/7/7412.md?p=12), and [information](/usc/7/7412.md?p=7) in years when the yield from assessments may be reduced, except that the amount of funds reserved may not exceed the greatest aggregate amount of the anticipated disbursements specified in budgets approved under [section 7414(e) of this title](/usc/7/7414.md?p=e) by the [Secretary](/usc/7/7412.md?p=14) for any 2 fiscal years. - (e) **Credits—** - (1) **Generic activities—** An [order](/usc/7/7412.md?p=9) issued under this subchapter may contain authority to provide credits of assessments for those individuals who contribute to other similar generic [research](/usc/7/7412.md?p=13), [promotion](/usc/7/7412.md?p=12), and [information](/usc/7/7412.md?p=7) programs at the [State](/usc/7/7412.md?p=15), regional, or local level. - (2) **Branded activities—** - (A) **In general—** The [Secretary](/usc/7/7412.md?p=14) may permit a farmer cooperative that engages in branded activities relating to the marketing of the products of members of the cooperative to receive an annual credit for the activities and related expenditures in the form of a deduction of the total cost of the activities and related expenditures from the amount of any assessment that would otherwise be required to be paid by the [producer](/usc/7/7412.md?p=11) members of the cooperative under an [order](/usc/7/7412.md?p=9) issued under this subchapter. - (B) **Election by cooperative—** A farmer cooperative may elect to voluntarily waive the application of [subparagraph (A)](#e-2-A) to the cooperative. - (f) **Assessment of imports—** An [order](/usc/7/7412.md?p=9) issued under this subchapter may contain authority for the [board](/usc/7/7412.md?p=2) established under the [order](/usc/7/7412.md?p=9) to assess under [section 7416 of this title](/usc/7/7416.md) an imported [agricultural commodity](/usc/7/7412.md?p=1), or products of such an [agricultural commodity](/usc/7/7412.md?p=1), at a rate comparable to the rate determined by the appropriate [board](/usc/7/7412.md?p=2) for the domestic [agricultural commodity](/usc/7/7412.md?p=1) covered by the [order](/usc/7/7412.md?p=9). - (g) **Other authority—** An [order](/usc/7/7412.md?p=9) issued under this subchapter may contain authority to take any other action that— - (1) is not inconsistent with the purpose of this subchapter, any term or condition specified in [section 7414 of this title](/usc/7/7414.md), or any rule issued to carry out this subchapter; and - (2) is necessary to administer the [order](/usc/7/7412.md?p=9). ## Source credit (Pub. L. 104–127, title V, § 516, Apr. 4, 1996, 110 Stat. 1041.)