§2. Transparency of records of commodity boards
This section establishes transparency requirements for commodity boards operating under commodity promotion laws (i.e., industry-funded programs authorized by federal law to promote agricultural commodities through assessments on producers or processors, including checkoff programs for beef, dairy, and others). It directs the Secretary of Agriculture to publish on the USDA website, for each such order, (1) audit reports submitted by each board pursuant to section 515(g)(2), (2) each board's approved activities and budgets, and (3) results of periodic independent evaluations under subsection (c). Publication must occur not later than 180 days after enactment for the 5 preceding fiscal years and not later than 365 days after the end of each subsequent fiscal year. (Thus, the information becomes publicly accessible online, enabling oversight of board operations previously available only to the Secretary.) The section also redesignates subsections (d) through (f) as (e) through (g) and makes a conforming change in redesignated subsection (g)(4).