Sec. 27. (a) The state seed commissioner shall administer this chapter. The state seed commissioner may authorize an agent to act for the state seed commissioner under this chapter.

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Terms Used In Indiana Code 15-15-1-27

  • Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
  • hybrid: means the first generation of a cross made under controlled conditions between strains of different parentage and of satisfactory purity. See Indiana Code 15-15-1-8
  • Judgment: means all final orders, decrees, and determinations in an action and all orders upon which executions may issue. See Indiana Code 1-1-4-5
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • label: means the display or displays of written, printed, or graphic matter on or attached to a seed container or accompanying seed sold in bulk quantities. See Indiana Code 15-15-1-10
  • labeling: refers to the use of labels or other written, printed, or graphic representations in any form accompanying or associated with a lot of seed whether in bulk or in containers. See Indiana Code 15-15-1-11
  • legume inoculant: means a pure or mixed culture of bacteria of the genus Rhizobium capable of effectively inoculating a specific kind or specific kinds of legume plants. See Indiana Code 15-15-1-12
  • lot: means a definite quantity of seed identified by a lot number or other mark, every portion or bag of which is uniform within recognized tolerances for the factors that appear in the labeling. See Indiana Code 15-15-1-13
  • noxious weed seed: means either of the following:

    Indiana Code 15-15-1-14

  • permit: means a written authorization granted by the seed commissioner and required under this chapter before a person may distribute agricultural or vegetable seed in Indiana subject to this chapter. See Indiana Code 15-15-1-15.5
  • person: means an individual, a partnership, a company, or a corporation. See Indiana Code 15-15-1-16
  • pre-inoculated seed: means seed to which has been applied before sale an application of a legume inoculant to effectively nodulate the resultant plant until the expiration date of the inoculant. See Indiana Code 15-15-1-17
  • Property: includes personal and real property. See Indiana Code 1-1-4-5
  • restricted noxious weed seed: means :

    Indiana Code 15-15-1-20

  • special use permit: means authorization issued by the seed commissioner to a person subject to section 27(c) of this chapter for the use of seeds of plant species for the purpose of research, development, production, or education. See Indiana Code 15-15-1-20.5
  • treated: refers to seed that has been subjected to an application of a substance or a process to:

    Indiana Code 15-15-1-21

  • United States: includes the District of Columbia and the commonwealths, possessions, states in free association with the United States, and the territories. See Indiana Code 1-1-4-5
  • vegetable seed: means the seeds:

    Indiana Code 15-15-1-24

  • Year: means a calendar year, unless otherwise expressed. See Indiana Code 1-1-4-5
     (b) The state seed commissioner may do any of the following to administer this chapter:

(1) Sample, inspect, analyze, and test agricultural and vegetable seed distributed within Indiana for seeding and sowing purposes, when, where, and to the extent the state seed commissioner considers necessary to determine whether the agricultural or vegetable seed is in compliance with this chapter.

(2) Notify a seed distributor of any violations of this chapter.

(3) Adopt rules:

(A) governing:

(i) methods of sampling, inspecting, analyzing, testing, and examining agricultural and vegetable seed; and

(ii) tolerances to be followed in the administration of this chapter; and

(B) necessary for the efficient enforcement of this chapter.

(4) Adopt rules to establish lists of prohibited and restricted noxious weeds.

(5) Adopt rules to establish reasonable standards of germination (as defined by rule adopted under section 28 of this chapter) for vegetable seed.

(6) Adopt rules to establish standards for the effectiveness of legume inoculant applied to pre-inoculated seed.

(7) Adopt rules to govern the treatment of seed and the labeling and distribution of treated seed.

(8) Publish at least one (1) time each year, in the form the seed commissioner considers proper, information concerning:

(A) the sales of agricultural and vegetable seed; and

(B) the results of the analysis of official samples of agricultural and vegetable seed sold within Indiana as compared with the analysis guaranteed on the label.

Information concerning production and use of agricultural and vegetable seed may not disclose the operation of any person.

(9) Enter any:

(A) public or private property during regular business hours; or

(B) vehicle that transports seed, whether by land, water, or air, at any time the vehicle is accessible;

to inspect seed and the records relating to the seed, subject to this chapter and the rules adopted under this chapter.

(10) As used in this subdivision, “stop sale order” refers to a written order issued by the state seed commissioner to the owner or custodian of a lot of agricultural or vegetable seed that the state seed commissioner has found violates this chapter or rules adopted under this chapter. The state seed commissioner may issue and enforce stop sale orders. A stop sale order prohibits the future sale, processing, and movement of the seed until the state seed commissioner issues a release from the stop sale order. The owner or custodian of the seed is entitled to appeal a stop sale order to a court with jurisdiction in the locality in which the seed is found, as provided in IC 4-21.5, seeking a judgment as to the justification for the order for the discharge of the seed from the stop sale order in accordance with the findings of the court. This subdivision does not limit the right of the state seed commissioner to proceed as otherwise authorized by this chapter.

(11) Establish and maintain or make provisions for seed testing facilities.

(12) Employ qualified persons.

(13) Incur necessary expenses.

(14) Test or provide for testing seed for purity and germination (as defined by rule adopted under section 28 of this chapter) for farmers and dealers on request of a farmer or dealer and:

(A) prescribe rules governing such testing; and

(B) charge for the tests made.

Without adopting a rule, the state seed commissioner shall charge fees that are commensurate with fees that are standard in the seed testing industry.

(15) Cooperate with the United States Department of Agriculture and other agencies in seed law enforcement.

(16) Enter the property of a producer of hybrid seed to determine whether the seed produced is as the seed is represented.

(17) Issue a written special use permit to a person to use a prohibited noxious weed seed or a restricted noxious weed seed for purposes of research, development, production, or education, subject to subsection (c).

(18) Adopt rules under IC 4-22-2 to establish fees that are necessary for the administration of this chapter, including costs of inspections, analysis, and publications.

(19) Adopt rules under IC 4-22-2 to establish civil fines for the following:

(A) Failure to submit a report required under this chapter.

(B) Failure to pay a fee required under this chapter.

     (c) The seed commissioner, in response to an application for the issuance of a special use permit under subsection (b)(17), may:

(1) issue a special use permit;

(2) issue a special use permit subject to conditions; or

(3) deny a special use permit request.

In determining whether to issue a special use permit, the seed commissioner shall consider each species of prohibited noxious weed or restricted noxious weed separately. The seed commissioner may revoke a special use permit at any time if it appears that the permit holder is not complying with the conditions established under the special use permit.

[Pre-2008 Recodification Citation: 15-4-1-9.]

As added by P.L.2-2008, SEC.6. Amended by P.L.75-2010, SEC.5; P.L.10-2022, SEC.1; P.L.33-2022, SEC.1.

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