Section 69-25-51 - Alleged violation of rules and regulations of Bureau of Plant Industry; right to hearing; Director of the Bureau of Plant Industry as reviewing officer; determination; penalty(1) When any administrative allegation or charge is made against a person for violating the rules and regulations of the Bureau of Plant Industry of the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce or the laws under Sections 69-3-1 through 69-3-29, Sections 69-19-1 through 69-19-15, Sections 69-21-101 through 69-21-128, Sections 69-23-1 through 69-23-135, Sections 69-25-1 through 69-25-47, Sections 69-25-101 through 69-25-109, or Sections 69-25-201 through 69-25-221, the Director of the Bureau of Plant Industry, or his designee, shall act as the reviewing officer. The complaint must be in writing, signed by the person making the charge, and filed in the Office of the Bureau of Plant Industry. The department shall send a copy of the complaint and any supporting documents to the person accused along with a summons requiring the accused to respond to the allegations within thirty (30) days. The notification shall be accomplished by any of the methods provided for in Rule 4 of the Mississippi Rules of Civil Procedure or by certified mail. If the accused does not respond within the thirty-day period, he shall be considered to be in default. Upon receipt of the response and any supporting documents from the accused, the reviewing officer shall determine the merits of the complaint. The reviewing officer may meet informally with the accused and discuss the alleged violation with him.(2) If the reviewing officer determines that the complaint lacks merit, he may dismiss the complaint.(3) If the reviewing officer determines that there is substantial evidence that a violation has occurred or if the accused admits to the truth of the allegations upon which the complaint is based, the reviewing officer may impose an appropriate penalty on the accused, which may be any or all of the following: (a) Issue a warning letter.(b) Suspend, modify, deny, cancel or revoke any license or permit granted by the department to the accused.(c) Issue a stop sale order with regard to any pesticide, plant or other material regulated by the department that is mislabeled or otherwise not in compliance with applicable law or regulations.(d) Require the accused to relabel any pesticide, plant or other material regulated by the department that is mislabeled.(e) Seize any pesticide, plant or other material regulated by the department and sell, destroy or otherwise dispose of the material and apply the proceeds of the sale to the state's expenses and any fees or penalties levied under this article.(f) Refuse to register, cancel or suspend the registration of a pesticide, plant or other material that is not in compliance with any applicable law or regulation.(g) Levy a civil penalty in an amount not to exceed Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) for each violation. In determining the amount of the penalty, the reviewing officer shall consider the appropriateness of the penalty for the particular violation, the effect of the penalty on the person's ability to continue in business and the gravity of the violation.
(4) If the accused requests a hearing with the department, in writing, within thirty (30) days from receipt of the decision of the reviewing officer, the commissioner shall appoint three (3) members of the advisory board to the Bureau of Plant Industry to act as a hearing committee and a hearing shall be scheduled. If the accused fails to request a hearing within the thirty-day period, the decision of the reviewing officer is final.Laws, 1992, ch. 474, § 1; Laws, 2005, ch. 533, § 1; Laws, 2008, ch. 353, § 1; Laws, 2009, ch. 515, § 17; Laws, 2012, ch. 502, § 2, eff. 7/1/2012.Amended by Laws, 2020, ch. 413, SB 2725,§ 12, eff. 6/29/2020.Amended by Laws, 2013, ch. 407, HB 751, 4, eff. 7/1/2013.