Each person who is required to pay or collect the fees which are required in Section 64691 shall maintain a complete and accurate record of all transactions subject to fees under this chapter. These records shall contain information required by the director relating to the payment or collection of fees, shall be preserved for a period of two years, and shall be offered and submitted for inspection and audit at any reasonable time upon written demand by the director or his or her duly authorized agent.

All information obtained by the director or his or her duly authorized agent from any inspection or audit of records shall be confidential and shall not be disclosed except when required in a judicial proceeding.

A fee greater than one dollar ($1) per head on cattle and calves prescribed by Section 64691 shall not be charged pursuant to that section under a mandatory fee payment program, unless and until the greater fee is approved by the producers in this state, by a referendum to be submitted to the producers by the secretary. The secretary shall find that the producers have approved any greater fee, if he or she finds that 60 percent of the producers voting in the referendum voted in favor of charging the greater fee. Ballots shall be provided to producers from a list provided by the council and approved by the secretary, and to other producers who request a ballot that provide proof of eligibility.

The fees required pursuant to Section 64691 shall be due and payable as follows:

are collected.

At the request of the director, the Attorney General shall petition an appropriate court for the issuance of an injunction, restraining any person in violation of any requirement specified in this chapter or regulations adopted pursuant thereto from continuing the violation. The court may also require the performance of any obligation imposed under this chapter or any regulations adopted pursuant thereto.

The fees which are collected by the Bureau of Livestock Identification pursuant to this article shall be forwarded to the director at the same time and in the same manner as the inspection fees which are provided for in Article 9 (commencing with Section 21281) of Chapter 6 of Division 10. The director shall reimburse, from any money which is collected pursuant to this section, the Bureau of Livestock Identification and any other bureaus or agencies of the state for any additional expenses which are incurred by them in the administration or enforcement of this chapter.

Any person who is subject to the fee which is required by Section 64691 may obtain a refund of the fee collected from him by submitting to the director a claim for such refund. Such claim shall be submitted in writing within 90 days after the date of the brand inspection or the date of payment of the fee to the director whichever date is later. The claim for refund shall contain such necessary information as the director may require.

This section shall not become operative unless and until the promotion and research program is declared by the director to be voluntary pursuant to the provisions of Article 7 (commencing with Section 64671).

A copy of the audit shall be delivered within 30 days after completion of the audit to the Governor, the director, and the Controller.

Money which is deposited pursuant to Section 64696 may be invested and reinvested by the Treasurer or the council in any of the securities described in Article 1 (commencing with Section 16430) of Chapter 3 of Part 2 of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code, or placed in a depository as provided in Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 16500) of Part 2 of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code, and handled in the same manner as money in the State Treasury. For these purposes, the money may also be combined with funds which are determined by the director to be available for investment pursuant to Section 58939. Any increment which is received from investment, reinvestment, or deposit made by the Treasurer shall be remitted to the council. The Treasurer may deduct from the remittance an amount equal to the reasonable cost incurred in carrying out this section or may bill the council for the costs, and the council shall pay the costs from money which is collected for it pursuant to this chapter.

The director, after consultation with the council, shall prepare an annual budget which sets forth in reasonable detail the proposed expenditures which he deems necessary for the performance by him and by the department of the duties which are imposed upon them by this chapter. He shall also prepare and submit to the council an annual statement, in reasonable detail, of his expenditures pursuant to this chapter.

The director may receive funds in such amounts as he may deem necessary to defray the initial expenses in making effective this chapter. The director shall reimburse those persons from whom said funds are received in the amounts received from any funds which are received by the director pursuant to Section 64691.

The director may accept contributions to advance the purposes of this chapter. If requested by the donor, such contributions shall be segregated and separately maintained for the use of the council.

Any inspector who is described in Section 20010 may accept voluntary contributions on behalf of the director. Such contributions may be supplementary to collections which are provided in Article 8 (commencing with Section 64691) of this chapter. Such contributions may be in lieu of the fees specified in Article 8 (commencing with Section 64691) if the promotion and research program is declared by the director to be voluntary pursuant to Article 7 (commencing with Section 64671).

The following shall apply to this chapter so long as the federal Beef Promotion and Research Act of 1985 (7 U.S.C. Sec. 2901 et seq.) and any resulting regulations are in effect. If the federal act is terminated by subsequent statute or in the manner specified in the act, this fact shall be certified by the secretary and this section shall be void and have no force and effect.