7 U.S.C. § 7256: Northeast Interstate Dairy Compact

Based upon a finding by the Secretary of a compelling public interest in the Compact region, the Secretary may grant the States that have ratified the Northeast Interstate Dairy Compact, as of April 4, 1996 , the authority to implement the Northeast Interstate Dairy Compact. The Northeast Interstate Dairy Compact Commission shall not regulate Class II, Class III, or Class III–A milk used for manufacturing purposes or any other milk, other than Class I (fluid) milk, as defined by a Federal milk marketing order issued under section 608c of this title . Consent for the Northeast Interstate Dairy Compact shall terminate on September 30, 2001 . Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia are the only additional States that may join the Northeast Interstate Dairy Compact, individually or otherwise, if upon entry the State is contiguous to a participating State and if Congress consents to the entry of the State into the Compact after April 4, 1996 . Before the end of each fiscal year that a Compact price regulation is in effect, the Northeast Interstate Dairy Compact Commission shall compensate the Commodity Credit Corporation for the cost of any purchases of milk and milk products by the Corporation that result from the projected rate of increase in milk production for the fiscal year within the Compact region in excess of the projected national average rate of the increase in milk production, as determined by the Secretary. At the request of the Northeast Interstate Dairy Compact Commission, the Administrator of the applicable Federal milk marketing order issued under section 608c(5) 2 of this title shall provide technical assistance to the Compact Commission and be compensated for that assistance. 2 See References in Text note below. The Northeast Interstate Dairy Compact Commission shall not prohibit or in any way limit the marketing in the Compact region of any milk or milk product produced in any other production area in the United States. The Compact Commission shall respect and abide by the ongoing procedures between Federal milk marketing orders with respect to the sharing of proceeds from sales within the Compact region of bulk milk, packaged milk, or producer milk originating from outside of the Compact region. The Compact Commission shall not use compensatory payments under section 10(6) of the Compact as a barrier to the entry of milk into the Compact region or for any other purpose. Establishment of a Compact over-order price, in itself, shall not be considered a compensatory payment or a limitation or prohibition on the marketing of milk.