There is levied on all milk processed in this state an assessment not to exceed fifty-four one-hundredths of one cent per hundredweight. The director shall determine, by rule, an assessment, that with contribution from the general fund, will support an inspection program to maintain compliance with the provisions of the pasteurized milk ordinance of the national conference on interstate milk shipment. All assessments shall be levied on the operator of the first milk processing plant receiving the milk for processing. This shall include milk processing plants that produce their own milk for processing and milk processing plants that receive milk from other sources. Milk processing plants whose monthly assessment for receipt of milk totals less than twenty dollars in any given month are exempted from paying this assessment for that month. All moneys collected under this section shall be paid to the director by the twentieth day of the succeeding month for the previous month's assessments. The director shall deposit the funds into the dairy inspection account hereby created within the agricultural local fund established in RCW
43.23.230. The funds shall be used only to provide inspection services to the dairy industry. If the operator of a milk processing plant fails to remit any assessments, that sum shall be a lien on any property owned by him or her, and shall be reported by the director and collected in the manner and with the same priority over other creditors as prescribed for the collection of delinquent taxes under chapters
84.60 and
84.64 RCW.
This section expires June 30, 2025.