Authority: Title 3.2, Chapters 51, 51.1, 52, 53, 54, 55, and 60, Code of Virginia.
A. Each establishment under the authority of the Regulation of Meat Products that is requesting overtime or holiday inspection shall pay that part of the actual cost of the inspection services.
B. The Commissioner, Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, is authorized to collect an annual inspection fee, not to exceed $40, from all establishments that are subject to inspection pursuant to Title 3.2, Chapter 51, Code of Virginia. However, any such establishment that is subject to any permit fee, application fee, inspection fee, risk assessment fee, or similar fee imposed by any locality shall be subject to this annual inspection fee only to the extent that the annual inspection fee and the locally-imposed fee, when combined, do not exceed $40. This fee structure shall be subject to the approval of the Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry. Any food bank, second harvest certified food bank, food bank member charity, or other food related activity which is exempt from taxation under 26 U.S.C. § 501 (c) (3), which maintains a food handling or storage facility, or any food-related program operated by any Community Services Board, as defined in Title 37.2, Chapter 5, Code of Virginia, shall be exempt from this inspection fee. Also, a producer of fruits and herbs that are dried, without the addition of any other ingredients, and sold only at a local farmers' market shall be exempt from the fee.
C. Out of the amounts in this item, $700,000 in the first year and $700,000 in the second year from the general fund and 7 positions are provided for investigation, and enforcement activities related to hemp product violations at food product establishments regulated by the department.
D. Out of the amounts in this item, $150,000 the first year and $150,000 the second year from the general fund, $150,000 the first year and $150,000 the second year in federal funds, and three positions are provided for meat and poultry inspection activities.
E. Out of the amounts in this item, $1,100,000 the second year from the general fund and 15 positions are provided for the registration and inspection of facilities selling certain hemp products, pursuant to Chapter 744, 2023 Acts of Assembly.