To effect the purpose of sections 927.51 to 927.73 of the Revised Code, the director of agriculture or the director's authorized representative may:

(A) Make reasonable inspection of any premises in this state and any property therein or thereon;

(B) Stop and inspect in a reasonable manner, any means of conveyance moving within this state upon probable cause to believe it contains or carries any pest, host, commodity, or other article that is subject to sections 927.51 to 927.72 of the Revised Code;

(C) Conduct inspections of agricultural products that are required by other states, the United States department of agriculture, other federal agencies, or foreign countries to determine whether the products are infested. If, upon making such an inspection, the director or the director's authorized representative determines that an agricultural product is not infested, the director or the director's authorized representative may issue a certificate, as required by other states, the United States department of agriculture, other federal agencies, or foreign countries, indicating that the product is not infested.

If the director charges fees for any of the certificates, agreements, or inspections specified in this section, the fees shall be as follows:

(1) Phytosanitary certificates, twenty-five dollars for shipments comprised exclusively of nursery stock;

(2) Phytosanitary certificates, one hundred dollars for all others;

(3) Phytosanitary certificates, twenty-five dollars for replacement of an issued certificate because of a mistake on the certificate or a change made by the shipper if no additional inspection is required;

(4) Compliance agreements, forty dollars;

(5) Agricultural products and their conveyances inspections, an amount equal to the hourly rate of pay in the highest step in the pay range, including fringe benefits, of a plant pest control specialist multiplied by the number of hours worked by such a specialist in conducting an inspection.

The director may adopt rules under section 927.52 of the Revised Code that define the certificates, agreements, and inspections.

The fees shall be credited to the plant pest program fund created in section 927.54 of the Revised Code.

Amended by 129th General AssemblyFile No.28, HB 153, §101.01, eff. 6/30/2011.

Amended by 128th General AssemblyFile No.9, HB 1, §101.01, eff. 7/17/2009.

Effective Date: 09-26-2003; 06-30-2005

Note: The amendment to this section by 129th General AssemblyFile No.10, SB 5, §1 was rejected by voters in the November, 2011 election.