(a) Each distributor shall pay to the commissioner an inspection fee for all fertilizer distributed to nonregistrants in this state of twenty-five cents per ton, with a minimum inspection fee of ten dollars. Sales to manufacturers or exchanges between them and sales by distributors are exempted. Fees so collected shall be used for the payment of the costs of inspection, sampling and analysis and other expenses necessary for the administration of this chapter.

(b) Every person who distributes fertilizer in this state shall: File with the commissioner, on forms furnished by the commissioner, an annual statement for the period ending June thirtieth setting forth the number of net tons of each fertilizer distributed in this state during such period. Such report shall be due on or before the thirtieth day of the month following the close of each annual period and shall be accompanied by the inspection fee established pursuant to subsection (a) of this section. If the tonnage report is not filed, and the payment of the inspection fee is not made within sixty days after the end of the annual period, a collection fee amounting to ten per cent of the amount, but not less than ten dollars, shall be assessed against the registrant and may be collected in a legal action against the registrant.

(c) When more than one person is involved in the distribution of a fertilizer, the last person who has the fertilizer registered and who distributes to a nonregistered dealer or consumer shall be responsible for reporting the tonnage and paying the inspection fee, unless the report and payment have been previously made by a prior distributor of the fertilizer.

(February, 1965, P.A. 198, S. 5; 1969, P.A. 95, S. 1; P.A. 73-278, S. 3, 21; P.A. 84-333; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 92-6, S. 46, 117; P.A. 09-229, S. 7.)

History: 1969 act provided for minimum inspection fee of $1 in Subsec. (a) and exempted sales of less than 10 tons in “annual” rather than “semiannual” period and amended Subsec. (b) to require “annual” rather than “semiannual” statements and to impose collection fee if payment of inspection fee not made within 60 rather than 30 days after end of annual period; P.A. 73-278 replaced “director”, i.e. director of Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, with “commissioner”, i.e. commissioner of agriculture; P.A. 84-333 amended Subsec. (a) by raising inspection fee from $0.06 to $0.15 per ton; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 92-6 amended Subsec. (a) to provide that the commissioner shall adopt regulations to establish inspection fees with a minimum fee of not less than $0.25 per ton; P.A. 09-229 deleted “commercial” re fertilizer throughout, amended Subsec. (a) to delete requirement re regulations, insert minimum distributor inspection fee for fertilizer distributed to nonregistrants and delete less than 10 ton annual exemption, amended Subsec. (b) to make report due on or before thirtieth day of month following close of annual period, and made conforming and technical changes, effective July 1, 2009.