Distribution of dividends

Sec. 30. (a) The net earnings or savings of an association from the association's marketing activities, purchasing activities, or marketing and purchasing activities that exceed the amounts needed to restore a deficit, to pay dividends on outstanding stock, or to establish or provide for additions to reserves or surplus, or both, must be distributed, unless otherwise provided by the bylaws, to the patrons of the association on a patronage basis. If provided in the bylaws, the distribution of the net earnings or savings from the marketing activities, purchasing activities, or marketing and purchasing activities that exceed the amounts needed to restore a deficit, to pay dividends on outstanding stock, or to establish or provide for additions to reserves or surplus, or both, may be made at different rates for members and nonmembers, or may be restricted only to members, or only to members and those patrons with whom the association has contracted to pay patronage refunds, but all the distributions must be made on a patronage basis. (b) If the reserves or surplus of an association are distributed at any time, the reserves or surplus must be distributed on a patronage basis as provided by the bylaws of the association.