Title 3.2, Agriculture, Animal Care, and Food

A. The provisions of §§ 3.2-4008 and 3.2-4015 and subdivision 6 of § 3.2-4001 shall not apply to: 1. Seed or grain sold or represented to be sold for purposes other than for planting, except as required by subsection F of § 3.2-4008; 2. Seed for conditioning when: (i) consigned t…

No disclaimer, nonwarranty, or limited warranty used in any invoice, advertising, labeling, nor any other written, printed or graphic matter pertaining to seed may deny or modify any information required by this article or regulations adopted hereunder.

A. The Commissioner shall notify the custodian of any seed or screenings in violation of this article. The Commissioner shall forward a copy of notice to the guarantor. B. Nothing in this article requires that the Commissioner report for prosecution or institute seizure proceedin…

It shall be the duty of each attorney for the Commonwealth to whom any violation of this article is reported to commence proceedings in the appropriate court without delay.

Any violation of this article is a Class 3 misdemeanor.

The Certified Seed Board is hereby established as a policy board that is a unit of and is within the Cooperative Extension of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. The purpose of the Certified Seed Board is to establish certification standards for agricultural …

The Certified Seed Board shall have a total membership of seven consisting of two nonlegislative citizen members and five ex officio members. Nonlegislative citizen members shall be appointed as follows: one member of the Virginia Seedsmen's Association and one member of the Virg…

The members of the Board shall serve without compensation, but shall be reimbursed for all reasonable and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties as provided in § 2.2-2825. Funding for the costs of expenses of the members shall be provided by the Certified …

The Certified Seed Board shall have the following powers and duties: 1. To encourage the production and use of certified seed as an economic measure when consistent with a fair profit for the certified seed producer; to advise cooperation of marketing systems for certified seed p…

The Certified Seed Board may adopt regulations after a public hearing and investigation. At least 15 days prior to the public hearing, the Certified Seed Board shall publish a notice of the general object, time, and place in a newspaper of general circulation published in the Cit…

A. It is unlawful for any person to use the term "certified" or imply certification relative to any agricultural seeds, vegetable seeds, tubers for planting purposes, or plants offered for sale unless such seeds, tubers, or plants have been certified as follows: 1. If the seeds, …

Nothing contained in this chapter shall be construed to regulate, restrict, or affect the certification of seeds, plants, or other materials by the Department, the Commissioner, or the Board.

As used in this article: "Adjusted for inflation" means increased in accordance with the formula for inflation adjustment set forth in Exhibit C to the Master Settlement Agreement. "Affiliate" means a person who directly or indirectly owns or controls, is owned or controlled by, …

A. Any tobacco product manufacturer selling cigarettes to consumers within the Commonwealth, whether directly or through a distributor, retailer or similar intermediary or intermediaries, after July 1, 1999, shall do one of the following: 1. Become a participating manufacturer (a…

Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection B of § 3.2-4201, a tobacco product manufacturer who elects to place funds into escrow pursuant to subdivision A 2 of § 3.2-4201 may make an irrevocable assignment of its interest in the funds to the benefit of the Commonwealth. Such as…

Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection B of § 3.2-4201, any escrow funds assigned and contributed to the Commonwealth pursuant to § 3.2-4202 shall be withdrawn by the Commonwealth by request of the State Treasurer to the Attorney General and upon approval of the Attorney Ge…

As used in this article: "Brand family" means all styles of cigarettes sold under the same trademark and differentiated from one another by means of additional modifiers or descriptors, including, but not limited to, "menthol," "lights," "kings," and "100s" and includes any brand…

A. Every tobacco product manufacturer whose cigarettes are sold in the Commonwealth whether directly or through a distributor, retailer or similar intermediary or intermediaries shall execute and deliver on a form prescribed by the Attorney General, requesting such information as…

A. Not later than October 1, 2003, the Attorney General shall develop and publish on its website a directory listing all tobacco product manufacturers that have provided current and accurate certifications conforming to the requirements of § 3.2-4205 and all brand families that a…

A. The Attorney General shall develop and publish on its website a list of individuals who are ineligible to be authorized holders as defined in § 58.1-1000. The Attorney General shall update the list as necessary to add names of individuals who are no longer eligible to be autho…

A. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, if a newly qualified nonparticipating manufacturer is to be listed in the Virginia Tobacco Directory (the Directory), or if the Attorney General reasonably determines that any nonparticipating manufacturer who has filed a certificati…

A. It shall be unlawful for any person (i) to affix a stamp to a package or other container of cigarettes of a tobacco product manufacturer or brand family not included in the Directory, or (ii) to sell, offer or possess for sale in the Commonwealth, ship or otherwise distribute …

A. Any nonresident or foreign nonparticipating manufacturer that has not registered to do business in the Commonwealth as a foreign corporation or business entity shall, as a condition precedent to having its brand families listed or retained in the Directory, appoint and continu…

For each nonparticipating manufacturer located outside the United States, each importer into the United States of any such nonparticipating manufacturer's brand families that are sold in Virginia shall bear joint and several liability with such nonparticipating manufacturer for d…

A. Not later than 20 days after the end of each calendar quarter, and more frequently if so directed by the Commissioner, each stamping agent shall submit to the Attorney General such information as the Attorney General requires to facilitate compliance with this article, includi…

A. When used in this section, the term "applicable returns" means the following returns or reports relating to cigarettes that are filed or required to be filed with the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, United States Department of Treasury, after the effective date of th…

The Attorney General at any time may require a nonparticipating manufacturer to provide proof from the financial institution in which such manufacturer has established a qualified escrow fund for the purpose of compliance with Article 1 (§ 3.2-4200 et seq.) of this chapter of the…

A. Notwithstanding the provisions of § 3.2-4201, on and after January 1, 2007, the Attorney General may require a nonparticipating manufacturer that is a new market entrant or that has been designated by the Attorney General as an elevated risk pursuant to subsection C of § 3.2-4…

A. In addition to any other civil or criminal penalty or remedy provided by law, upon a determination that any person has violated § 3.2-4207 or any regulation adopted pursuant thereto, the Commissioner may revoke or suspend such person's privilege to purchase tax stamps at a dis…

A determination of the Attorney General to not list or to remove from the Directory a brand family or tobacco product manufacturer shall be subject to review in the manner prescribed by the Administrative Process Act (§ 2.2-4000 et seq.).

The Commissioner may promulgate regulations necessary to assist him in performing his duties prescribed by this article.

A. Any tobacco product manufacturer that produces cigarettes sold or offered for sale into or within the Commonwealth shall be deemed to have submitted to and agreed to the jurisdiction of the courts of the Commonwealth for the purpose of trying any action brought by the Commonwe…

The Attorney General or his authorized representative shall have the authority to: 1. Conduct audits and investigations of (i) a nonparticipating manufacturer and its importers or a tobacco product manufacturer as defined in § 3.2-4200 that became a participating manufacturer aft…

In any action brought by the Commonwealth to enforce this article or Article 1 (§ 3.2-4200 et seq.) of this chapter in which the Commonwealth prevails, or as part of the settlement of any matter arising from an investigation prior to the filing of such action, and in addition to …

If a court determines that a person has violated this article, the court shall order any profits, gain, gross receipts or other benefit from the violation to be disgorged and paid to the Treasurer of the Commonwealth. Unless otherwise expressly provided, the remedies or penalties…

In any action under subsection C of § 3.2-4201, reports of numbers of cigarettes stamped submitted to the Attorney General pursuant to subsection A of § 3.2-4209 shall be admissible in evidence and shall be presumed to accurately state the number of cigarettes stamped during the …

If an appropriate court finds that the provisions of this article and of Article 1 (§ 3.2-4200 et seq.) of this chapter conflict and cannot be harmonized, then the provisions of Article 1 shall control. If any section, subsection, subdivision, paragraph, sentence, clause or phras…

Any tobacco product manufacturer, stamping agent, or importer of cigarettes, or any officer, employee, or agent of any such entity, who knowingly and with the intent to defraud, mislead, or deceive makes any materially false statement in any record required by this chapter to be …

As used in this article, unless the context requires a different meaning, "agricultural product" means any horticultural, viticulture, dairy, livestock, poultry, bee, or other farm or garden product.

This article shall not apply to any agricultural product or products not marked or designated by or with any trademark, brand or other markings indicating grade, classification, quality, condition, or size.

The Commissioner may adopt regulations governing the voluntary use of grades, trademarks, brands, and other markings for agricultural products produced, packed, or marked in the Commonwealth. The regulations shall prescribe the: (i) grade, classification, quality, condition, size…

The Commissioner, in carrying out the provisions of § 3.2-4302, shall adopt grades recommended or adopted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture if they are suitable for use in Virginia. If there is a demand for additional or different grades or standards by those persons in the C…

Any person desiring to pack, mark, sell, or offer for sale any agricultural product under any grade, trademark, brand, or other markings relating to grade, quality or size, not established and adopted by the Commissioner, may file with the Commissioner a certificate describing th…

This article shall not prevent the use of any trademark or brand not established and adopted, or not approved by the Commissioner, on or in connection with any agricultural product, if, as a part of such trademark or brand, or immediately adjacent thereto, there is printed in let…

The Commissioner shall enforce the provisions of this article and is empowered to: 1. Enter and inspect every place where agricultural products are produced, packed, stored for sale, shipped, delivered for shipment, in transit or offered for sale; and to inspect such places and a…

When any agricultural product is in transit, delivered to a common carrier for shipment, or delivered for storage, such transit or delivery shall be prima facie evidence that the product is offered for sale.