Seed License Fee Laboratory Fees
A. The annual fee for a seed dealer's license shall be $75.
B. The following laboratory fees shall be applicable to all seed testing conducted by this department:
1. standard germination test only, purity test only or noxious weed examination only: $8 each (except grasses, mixtures and seed containing high inert: $16 each);
2. complete test (purity and germination): $14 each (except grasses, mixtures and seed containing higher inert: $24 each);
3. accelerated aging: $12 each;
4. Texas Cool Test: $16 each;
5. tetrazolium: $20 each; and
6. examination of 4-pound rice seed sample for presence of red rice: $10.
7. varietal purity $12
8. priority sample $25
Inspection Fees on Agricultural Seed
A. In addition to the requirements of the Act, any person who sells, distributes, or offers or handles for sale agricultural seed within this state for planting purposes shall pay an inspection fee thereon in accordance with the following:
1. All seed dealers shall pay an inspection fee of $.20 for each 100 pounds of agricultural seed sold, offered for sale, exposed for sale, or otherwise distributed for sale for planting purposes within this state. The inspection fee shall be due on the total pounds of first point of sales distributions in Louisiana by the seller of the seed.
Exception: The payment of an inspection fee is not required for a person who offers for sale, sells, or distributes Louisiana certified tagged seed upon which inspection fees have already been paid.
2. Records must be kept by the seed dealer showing the total pounds of each lot identified as to the kind and variety (when applicable). In addition, for auditing purposes, records must be kept by the seed dealer showing the invoice number for each distribution of seed, identified with the name of the kind and variety (when applicable), the lot number, pounds of seed, and number of containers of seed, and the person, to whom the seed was distributed.
3. Each seed dealer shall file with the department a quarterly report (supplied by the department) covering the following periods: 1st quarter July, August, September; 2nd quarter October, November, December; 3rd quarter January, February, March; 4th quarter April, May, June. Reports and fees shall be filed with the department no later than 30 days following the end of each quarter. The department may assess a 10 percent additional charge for late reports. If a seed dealer has no sales during the quarterly reporting period the department must be notified accordingly.
Penalties Adjudicatory Hearing Required
A. Whenever the chairman of the Seed Commission has reason to believe that there has been a violation of the Seed Law or any of these rules and regulations, he shall notify the person believed to have committed the violation, the notice to be in accordance with the requirements of the Administrative Procedure Act.
B. No penalty shall be imposed on any individual, firm, corporation or other legal entity regulated under the Seed Law until such time as an adjudicatory hearing is conducted, such hearing to be conducted in accordance with the requirements of the Administrative Procedure Act.
C. Whenever the Seed Commission determines that a violation has occurred, the Seed Commission may impose any of the following penalties:
1. withdraw from the offender the right to have seed certified under these procedures;
2. destroy any seed which is not in compliance with the requirements of the Seed Law or the requirements of these regulations; or
3. impose a penalty not to exceed $500 for each offense.