(1) Any person who:

(a) Violates any provision of this chapter or the rules adopted under this chapter;

(b) Forges, counterfeits, removes, destroys, disguises, or wrongfully or improperly uses any tag, certificate, permit, compliance agreement, or other written agreement provided for in this chapter;

(c) Interferes with or obstructs any director or authorized representative of the department in the performance of her or his duties;

(d) Willfully refuses to identify the origin and source of any plant, plant product, or other thing likely to carry plant pests, noxious weeds, or arthropods; or

(e) Has in her or his possession unauthorized imported plants or plant products,

commits a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.

(2) Any person who imports from other states, territories, or countries, without a special permit from the Division of Plant Industry, plants or propagative plant parts of the subfamily Aurantioideae (after Swingle and Reese which includes all species of citrus) commits a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.

(3)(a)1. In addition to any other provision of law, the department may, after notice and hearing, impose an administrative fine pursuant to s. 570.971 in the Class II category for each violation of this chapter, upon a person, nurseryman, stock dealer, agent, or plant broker. The fine, when paid, shall be deposited in the Plant Industry Trust Fund. In addition, the department may place the violator on probation for up to 1 year, with conditions.

2. The imposition of a fine or probation pursuant to this subsection may be in addition to or in lieu of the suspension or revocation of a certificate of registration or certificate of inspection.

(b) Whenever any administrative order has been entered by the department imposing a fine or probation upon any person pursuant to this subsection, the order shall specify the conditions and time limit for probation, and the amount of the fine and time limit for payment which shall not exceed 15 days. If the person fails to meet the conditions of probation or to pay the fine within the established time, the person’s certificate of registration or certificate of inspection may be suspended or revoked, and a fine of $100 per day imposed for each day the violation continues.

(4) A person who knowingly acquires, imports, possesses, sells or offers to sell, trades or offers to trade, barters or offers to barter, moves or causes to be moved, introduces, or releases a plant pest without a special permit from the division:

(a) Commits a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083;

(b) Is subject to an administrative fine pursuant to s. 570.971 in the Class II category for each violation of this chapter;

(c) May have a certificate of registration or certificate of inspection suspended or revoked; and

(d) Is liable for the payment of all reasonable costs and expenses incurred by the department in a pest control or eradication program. Moneys collected pursuant to this section shall be deposited into the Plant Industry Trust Fund.

(5) A person who knowingly acquires, imports, possesses, sells or offers to sell, trades or offers to trade, barters or offers to barter, moves or causes to be moved, introduces, or releases a plant pest without a special permit from the division that results in the issuance of a declaration of an agricultural emergency by the Commissioner of Agriculture or the implementation of a control or eradication program by the department or the United States Department of Agriculture:

(a) Commits a felony of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083;

(b) Is subject to an administrative fine pursuant to s. 570.971 in the Class IV category for each violation of this chapter;

(c) May have a certificate of registration or certificate of inspection suspended or revoked; and

(d) Is liable for the payment of all reasonable costs and expenses incurred by the department in a plant pest control or eradication program. Moneys collected pursuant to this section shall be deposited into the Plant Industry Trust Fund.

History.—s. 11, ch. 12291, 1927; CGL 7854; s. 21, ch. 59-261; s. 600, ch. 71-136; s. 3, ch. 76-95; s. 4, ch. 78-72; s. 10, ch. 79-158; s. 6, ch. 80-41; s. 6, ch. 84-355; s. 4, ch. 85-153; s. 5, ch. 88-31; s. 150, ch. 91-224; s. 7, ch. 92-147; s. 61, ch. 93-169; s. 923, ch. 97-103; s. 32, ch. 2001-279; s. 138, ch. 2014-150; s. 4, ch. 2016-88.

Note.—Former s. 581.09.