Title 286, AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRY

Sec. 9. As used in this act: (a) "Retail food establishment" means a restaurant, delicatessen, bakery, grocery store, or any retail outlet with an in-store restaurant, delicatessen, bakery, salad bar, or other eat-in or carry-out service or a processed or prepared raw or ready-to…

Sec. 11. (1) The department may engage in or conduct activities to regulate, promote, and assist the organic industry in the manner provided by law. The department has the authority to enter into reciprocity agreements with other states' departments of agriculture and the United …

Sec. 13. (1) The following persons must be certified by a certifying agent registered by the department in order to engage in the production, sale, or handling of organic products: (a) A producer who sells, intends to sell, or represents that he or she is engaged in the business …

Sec. 15. (1) A person who desires to act as a certifying agent shall register with the department on a form provided by the department and pay a nonrefundable registration fee annually established by the department. (2) Upon payment of the appropriate annual registration fee and …

Sec. 17. To obtain a registration as a certifying agent, an applicant shall demonstrate to the satisfaction of the director all of the following: (a) Certification standards meeting or exceeding the Michigan organic standards. (b) A requirement that producers or handlers that wil…

Sec. 19. (1) A handler required to be registered under this act shall provide the following on its application for registration: (a) The name and address of the registrant. (b) The nature of the registrant's business. (c) A listing of the brands or agricultural products, or both,…

Sec. 20. (1) An organic products fund is established in the state treasury. The organic products fund shall be expended only as provided in subsection (3). (2) The organic products fund shall receive as revenue money as appropriated by the legislature, all registration fees colle…

Sec. 21. (1) By promulgation of rules pursuant to the administrative procedures act of 1969, 1969 PA 306, MCL 24.201 to 24.328, the director may adopt standards that meet or exceed the standards for organic products of the United States department of agriculture agricultural mark…

Sec. 22. (1) The department may enter into a reciprocity agreement with a state or country that has an organic program that has been determined by the director to be substantially equivalent. This includes, but is not limited to, certification standards for organic producers or h…

Sec. 23. (1) All labeling and advertisement of organic products shall comply with the requirements contained in this act and rules adopted under this act. (2) The director shall consider as mislabeled an organic product meeting any of the following circumstances: (a) Is false or …

Sec. 25. (1) There is created an organic advisory committee within the department. The committee shall advise the director on the implementation of this act and the promulgation of rules and may do all of the following: (a) Assist the director in developing the Michigan organic s…

Sec. 27. (1) The director, in administering and enforcing this act, shall investigate complaints and initiate and conduct investigations of alleged violations of this act. The director may deny an application for or suspend or revoke registration of a certifying agent or a handle…

Sec. 29. (1) Upon finding that a person subject to this act violated a provision of this act or rule promulgated under this act, the department may impose an administrative fine of not more than $500.00 for the first offense and not more than $1,000.00 for a second or subsequent …

Sec. 31. This act takes effect October 1, 2001.