(a) The bond required in this subchapter shall be filed with the dealer’s or handler’s application for a license, and shall be filed within the time for filing such application.

(b) The bond shall become effective upon its being filed with the Department of Agriculture for the entire license year, or for that part of the license year in which the milk dealer or handler became engaged in the milk business. Any bond filed with the Department shall become effective upon being filed, whether or not it is approved by the Department, and shall no longer be of effect during the license year only when it has been replaced by a bond approved by the Department to be substituted therefor. The bond required in this subchapter shall be an obligation independent of the granting of a license and shall remain in full force and effect for and during the license year designated, as long as the dealer or handler purchases or receives milk from producers or is indebted to pay producers for any milk delivered during said license year, whether or not a license is granted the milk dealer or handler or a license granted the milk dealer or handler remains in force.

(c) The Department of Agriculture shall determine within a reasonable time after the close of a license year which milk dealers or handlers have paid all amounts protected by their bonds filed with the Department, and if the Department finds that all amounts protected by the bond of a milk dealer or handler have been paid, it shall thereafter return the bond for said past license year to each such milk dealer or handler.

Code 1935, § 654C; 48 Del. Laws, c. 376, § 1; 3 Del. C. 1953, § 3164; 57 Del. Laws, c. 764, § 12.