The Board shall have the following duties:

(a) To meet not less than three times annually, or more often if required for the Board to carry out its responsibilities pursuant to this subpart.

(b) To organize and select from among its members a chairperson, vice chairperson, a treasurer and such other officers as may be necessary.

(c) To appoint from its members an executive committee and to delegate to the committee authority to administer the terms and provisions of this subpart under the direction of the Board and within the policies determined by the Board.

(d) To employ or contract for such persons to perform administrative functions as it may deem necessary and define the duties and determine the compensation of each.

(e) To develop and submit to the Secretary for approval, promotion, research, consumer information, and industry information plans or projects.

(f) To prepare, and submit to the Secretary for approval, budgets on a fiscal period basis of its anticipated expenses and disbursements in the administration of this subpart, including probable costs of promotion, research, consumer information, and industry information plans or projects, and also including a description of the proposed promotion, research, consumer information, and industry information programs contemplated therein.

(g) To maintain such books and records, which shall be available to the Secretary for inspection and audit, and to prepare and submit such reports from time to time to the Secretary, as the Secretary may prescribe, and to make appropriate accounting with respect to the receipt and disbursement of all funds entrusted to it.

(h) With the approval of the Secretary, to enter into contracts or agreements with appropriate parties, including national nonprofit producer-governed organizations, for the development and conduct of activities authorized under §1220.230 of this subpart and for the payment of the cost thereof with funds collected through assessments pursuant to §1220.223. Provided, that the Board shall contract with only one national nonprofit producer-governed organization to administer all projects within a program area.

Any such contract or agreement shall provide that:

(1) The contractor shall develop and submit to the Board a plan or project together with a budget or budgets which shall show the estimated cost to be incurred for such plan or project;

(2) Any such plan or project shall become effective only upon approval of the Secretary; and

(3) The contracting party shall keep complete and accurate records of all of its transactions and make periodic reports to the Board of activities conducted pursuant to a contract and an accounting for funds received and expended, and such other reports as the Secretary or the Board may require. The Board and Secretary may audit the records of the contracting party periodically.

(i) To prepare and make public, at least annually, a report of its activities carried out and an accounting for funds received and expended.

(j) [Reserved]

(k) To cause its books to be audited by a certified public accountant at least once each fiscal period and at such other times as the Secretary may require and to submit a copy of each such audit to the Secretary.

(l) To give the Secretary the same notice of meetings of the Board and committees as is given to members in order that the Secretary, or a representative of the Secretary, may attend such meetings.

(m) To submit to the Secretary such information pursuant to this subpart as may be requested.

(n) To encourage the coordination of programs of promotion, research, consumer information, and industry information designed to strengthen the soybean industry's position in the marketplace and to maintain and expand domestic and foreign markets and uses for soybean and soybean products produced in the United States.

[56 FR 31049, July 9, 1991, as amended at 60 FR 29962, June 7, 1995; 60 FR 58500, Nov. 28, 1995]