| 1-A.__Commission empowered to establish prices; public |
| hearing.__The commission is vested with the power to establish |
| and change, after investigation and public hearing, the |
| minimum wholesale and retail prices to be paid to producers, |
| dealers and stores for milk received, purchased, stored, |
| manufactured, processed, distributed or otherwise handled |
| within the State.__The commission shall hold a public hearing |
| prior to the establishing or changing of such minimum prices. |
| The commission may proceed, however, under the emergency rule- |
| making provisions of Title 5, section 8054 without making |
| findings of emergency when the only changes to be made in the |
| minimum prices are to conform with the orders of any federal |
| or other agency duly authorized by law to establish or |
| negotiate producer prices or are to respond to other |
| conditions affecting prevailing Class I, Class II and Class |
| III prices in southern New England.__Title 5, section 8054, |
| subsection 3, the 2nd sentence, does not apply to minimum |
| prices adopted under the previous sentence.__Due notice of the |
| public hearing must be given by publishing notice as provided |
| in Title 5, chapter 375.__The commission shall hold such a |
| public hearing not less frequently than once every 12 months |
| to determine whether the minimum wholesale and retail prices |
| then established should be changed. In addition to the data |
| received through the implementation of the information |
| gathering procedures of its rules as a basis for its |
| determinations, the commission shall solicit and seek to |
| receive oral and written testimony at hearings to determine |
| whether the minimum wholesale and retail prices then |
| established should be changed and whether the proposed minimum |
| wholesale and retail prices are just and reasonable.__This |
| subsection takes effect January 1, 2005. |
