§ 648. Inspections
(a) Inspection fees shall be paid to the Secretary by a manufacturer or processor that
distributes seed in the State. Fees shall be established as follows:
(1) $10.00 per ton for any seed sold in containers of more than 10 pounds; and
(2) a flat fee of $85.00 per company for any seed sold.
(b) The following shall be exempt from the inspection fee requirements:
(1) seed not intended for sowing purposes;
(2) seed in storage in, or consigned to, a seed cleaning or processing establishment for
cleaning or processing; and
(3) seed grown, sold, and delivered by a producer on his or her own premises for seeding
purposes to the ultimate consumer, provided such seed has neither been advertised
for sale nor been delivered via commercial carrier, and provided the seed contains
no prohibited noxious weed seeds or not more than one restricted noxious weed seed
per 2,000 of the seeds being sold.
(c) For those seeds sold in containers of more than 10 pounds, a report shall be filed
annually on January 15 on forms supplied by the Secretary regarding sales during the
previous calendar year, and fees based on the $10.00 per ton rate shall accompany
the report. Reporting periods are January 1-June 30 and July 1-December 31.
(d) For those seeds sold in containers of 10 pounds or less, the fee of $85.00 per company
shall be paid annually prior to distribution in the State. Fees shall be paid annually
on January 1.
(e) All fees shall be deposited in the special fund created by subsection 364(f) of this title and used in accordance with its provisions.
(f) The Secretary may waive seed inspection fees under this chapter, based on the number
of seed varieties sold, and for the sale of heirloom seed varieties.
(g) For seeds sold in Vermont that contain genetically engineered material, the manufacturer
or processor distributing such seed in Vermont shall report annually on or before
February 15 to the Secretary on forms supplied by the Secretary regarding sales during
the previous calendar year.
(h) For agricultural seeds sold in Vermont, the manufacturer or processor distributing
the seed in Vermont shall report annually on or before February 15 to the Secretary
on forms supplied by the Secretary regarding the quantity of treated article seed
and the quantity of untreated seed sold in Vermont during the previous calendar year. (Added 1989, No. 85, § 2; amended 1993, No. 13, § 3; 1999, No. 49, § 113; 2001, No. 143 (Adj. Sess.), § 36b, eff. June 21, 2002; 2003, No. 42, § 2, eff. May 27, 2003; 2003, No. 97 (Adj. Sess.), § 4, eff. Oct. 1, 2004; 2015, No. 149 (Adj. Sess.), § 8; 2017, No. 74, § 7; 2019, No. 64, § 1; 2021, No. 41, § 10c; 2023, No. 6, § 44, eff. July 1, 2023.)