Article 12. Violations of California Food And Agricultural Code >> Division 7. >> Chapter 6. >> Article 12.

(a) Unless otherwise specified, any violation of this chapter or the regulations adopted pursuant to it is a misdemeanor which is punishable by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars ($500) for the first violation and not less than one thousand dollars ($1,000) for each subsequent violation.
  (b) The director may, after a hearing, refuse to issue or renew, or may suspend or revoke a license for any violation of this chapter or any regulation which is adopted pursuant thereto.
  (c) Upon calling a hearing, the director shall serve notice personally or by mail to the licensee specifying the time and place at least 10 days prior to the hearing. At the hearing, the director may do all of the following:
  (1) Administer oaths and hear testimony.
  (2) Issue subpoenas requiring the attendance of the licensee and witnesses.
  (3) Compel the disclosure of the licensee and any witness of all the facts known to him or her regarding the case. In no instance shall any employee of the Feed, Fertilizer, and Livestock Drugs Branch serve as the hearing officer in any case under this section.
  (d) After the loss of a license, the person so deprived has the right to appeal this action to the director.

(a) In lieu of any other penalty provided by this chapter, the director may levy a civil penalty against a person who violates Section 15051, 15053, or 15054, in an amount not to exceed five hundred dollars ($500) for each violation.
  (b) Before a civil penalty is levied, the person charged with the violation shall receive notice of the nature of the violation.
  (c) Any person against whom a civil penalty is imposed pursuant to this section may appeal to the director within 10 days of the date of receiving notification of the penalty in accordance with the following procedure:
  (1) The appeal shall be in writing and signed by the appellant or his or her authorized agent, and shall state the grounds for the appeal.
  (2) Any party may, at the time of filing the appeal or within 10 days thereafter, submit written evidence and a written argument to the director.
  (3) The director may authorize a person to present an oral argument on his or her behalf. The person shall submit a request to present an oral argument at the same time the written evidence or written arguments are submitted.
  (4) If a request to present an oral argument is granted by the director, the director shall give written notice of the time and place for the oral argument not less than 10 days prior to the date set for oral argument. This time requirement may be altered by an agreement between the director and the appellant.
  (5) The director shall decide the appeal on the basis of the oral or written arguments, briefs, and evidence presented to the director.
  (6) The director shall render a written decision within 45 days of the date the appeal was received or within 15 days of the date of the oral argument, whichever date is later.
  (7) On an appeal pursuant to this section, the director may sustain the decision, modify the amount of the penalty imposed, or reverse the decision. A copy of the director's decision shall be delivered or mailed to the appellant.
  (8) The decision of the director may be reviewed pursuant to Section 1094.5 of the Code of Civil Procedure.
  (d) Any funds recovered by the director pursuant to this section shall be deposited in a special account in the Department of Food and Agriculture Fund and, notwithstanding Section 13340 of the Government Code, are continuously appropriated to cover costs related to the enforcement of this division.

It is unlawful for any person to manufacture or distribute in this state any commercial feed without complying with the provisions of this chapter and the regulations which are adopted pursuant to it.

It is unlawful for any person to use any commercial feed containing drugs or food additives except in compliance with all directions for use stated on any tag or label affixed to or accompanying the commercial feed.

The director may seize and hold any lot of commercial feed which he has reasonable cause to believe is in violation of the provisions of this chapter or the regulations adopted pursuant to it.

If the director seizes any lot of commercial feed, he shall immediately issue to the person that has control of such feed a hold order or notice. He may affix to the lot or package of such feed a warning tag which states that the lot is so held.

(a) Any lot of commercial feed for which a hold order or notice is issued shall be held by the person having control of the feed and shall not be disturbed or moved except under the specific directions of the director pending final disposition pursuant to this chapter. This restriction does not prevent the person having control of the feed from inspecting any feed so seized, nor from taking therefrom, in the presence of a person designated by the director, a reasonable sample for evidence.
  (b) The movement, distribution, or sale of all or part of any lot, parcel, or package of commercial feed that has been quarantined by the director, unless the movement has the prior approval of the director, is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars ($500). A second or subsequent violation of this subdivision is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than one thousand dollars ($1,000).

Any lot of commercial feed which is seized and held pursuant to this chapter, unless previously analyzed by the director, shall be sampled and promptly analyzed within a reasonable period of time, as set by the director by regulation, after the seizure for the purpose of determining if such commercial feed is, in fact, in violation of the provisions of this chapter or the regulations adopted pursuant to it. The person having control of the feed shall be immediately notified by the director as to whether or not the sample was found to be in violation. If the results of analysis are not made known to the person having control of the feed within the period of time specified by the director by regulation, the lot of commercial feed being held shall be immediately released and the hold order or tag removed.

Upon demand of the person having control of the seized feed and within 10 days of sampling by the director, a subsample shall be returned from the state laboratory to the person in control of the feed.

If the seized and held lot, as determined by the director's analysis, is not in violation, the director shall immediately release the seized and held lot and remove the hold order or tag.

If the seized and held lot is found to be in violation, the director shall either:
  (a) Continue to hold the lot until such time as the requirements of this chapter have been complied with, at which time the lot shall be released.
  (b) Issue orders for the disposal of the lot in a manner specified by the director.

The manufacturer or guarantor of a seized or held lot found to be in violation may appeal the result of analysis to the secretary in writing within 10 days of receiving the notice of violation. Upon receipt of the appeal, the secretary shall perform an additional analysis of the official sample representing the lot in question. The cost of analysis shall be at the expense of the person that requests the appeal. The findings from the appeal analysis are final.

The authority for the issuance of citations under this chapter is limited to violations of Section 14991, 15011, 15042, 15056, or 15075. The procedures for the issuance of citations and penalties shall be prescribed in a citations policy adopted by the director, notwithstanding Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, upon the recommendation of the Feed Inspection Advisory Board.