The purpose of this section is hereby declared to be that of permitting and encouraging the agricultural industry of the State of Oklahoma to contribute, on a voluntary basis, to the support and expansion of agricultural research on behalf of such industry and on behalf of all of the citizens of the state, through the Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station, and to the support and expansion of the programs of the Oklahoma Agricultural Extension Division.

To effectuate the purpose recited in this section, any agricultural organization, association and corporation in the state, including agricultural cooperatives, and the producers of any specific commodity through a referendum of members, is hereby expressly authorized and empowered, through appropriate formal action, to contribute to the support and expansion of agricultural research through the Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station, and to the support and expansion of the programs of the Oklahoma Agricultural Extension Division, in either of the following ways:

(1) Through direct donation or dedication of money, lands or other things of value from the assets of the organization, association or corporation.

(2) Through the assessment and collection of an agricultural research fee upon sales of the agricultural products of the members of any such organization, association, or corporation, or the producers of any specific commodity through a referendum of members, to be fixed in an amount, and collected at the time and in the manner specified in a formal order or resolution duly passed and adopted by any such organization, association or corporation, or the producers of any specific commodity through a referendum of members. Any monies made available under the provisions of this section shall be deposited in the State Treasury to the credit of the Board of Regents for the Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical Colleges, kept in a separate fund, and used solely for the purposes stated in this section. The Board of Regents for the Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical Colleges shall allocate said funds between the Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station and the Oklahoma Agricultural Extension Division in a manner, according to the judgment of said Board, which will best effectuate the purposes of this section. Provided, however, that any organization, association or corporation, or the producers of any specific commodity through a referendum of members, as defined in this section, may designate the use to be made of the money, real property or other things of value which it may dedicate for the purposes of the section, not in conflict with law.

The State Treasurer is hereby directed and authorized to issue warrants upon the State Treasury against the funds made available under the terms of this section, for such amounts as he may from time to time find to be due upon audited itemized estimates and claims which bear the approval of the officials designated by the Board of Regents for the Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical Colleges for such purpose.

Said Board of Regents may authorize the expenditure of the funds made available by the terms of this section for any purpose which it deems necessary or convenient to effectuate the purpose of the section, including the acquisition of lands or capital improvements, except where such funds are limited by the terms of the grant, as hereinabove provided.

All monies collected under the terms of this section and deposited in the State Treasury, as aforesaid, shall constitute a continuing fund, shall not be subject to fiscal limitations, and the unexpended balances shall at all times be available for expenditure for the purposes, and in the manner and form, provided in this section. All sums which may become available under the terms of this section shall be in addition to, and not in substitution for, sums otherwise appropriated or made available to the Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station or to the Oklahoma Agricultural Extension Division from any other source.

The title to any property, real and personal, made available under the terms of this section, shall be taken in the name of the Board of Regents for the Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical Colleges, and used only for the purposes authorized by the terms of this section.

Laws 1965, c. 396, § 419; Laws 1979, c. 47, § 84, emerg. eff. April 9, 1979.