2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 29 - Livestock Disease Control (§§ 641 — 838d) › Subchapter VI - Fowl and Hatching Eggs (§§ 811 — 815g) › § 815c - Powers of Secretary

The Secretary is hereby empowered:
(a) To promulgate the standards and regulations and establish the necessary measures for preventing the introduction into or the dissemination in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico of infectious and/or contagious diseases of fowl, and the introduction or marketing of fowl suffering from infectious and/or contagious diseases, and of fowl and hatching eggs that are carriers or spreaders of, or have suffered or been exposed to, infectious and/or contagious diseases.
(b) Through regulations, to impose quarantines and take emergency measures such as slaughtering, in the case of fowl, and isolation and/or destruction of affected fowl or hatching eggs, or of those that may have been in contact with them, or with any product thereof, whenever an epizootic, enzootic, or outbreak of any infectious or contagious disease of fowl exists or develops in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
(c) To establish standards, regulations or procedures necessary for an orderly, adequate, truthful, and fair marketing of fowl and hatching eggs, and of the business of producing hatching eggs, egg-laying fowl for sale, and fowl and eggs intended for breeding purposes. The objectives of said standards, regulations or procedures to be established shall be to prevent deceptive practices in their marketing, or practices that are detrimental to farmers and poultry farm operators, and to attain the adoption of animal health measures and production and breeding techniques that will assure the good quality and productivity of fowl and hatching eggs.
For the achievement of the aforementioned objectives, the Secretary shall ascertain that the fowl and hatching eggs marketed in Puerto Rico, whether introduced into or produced in Puerto Rico, meet specific requirements as to health, quality, classification, weight of hatching eggs, sex of fowl chicks, age and size of fowl pullets, and strain, cross or variety of fowl and hatching eggs.
(d) To inspect the fowl and hatching eggs introduced into or marketed in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, at points of arrival, as well as in the establishments or places where the same are produced or marketed in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, so as to verify compliance with §§ 815—815g of this title and with the standards and regulations established hereunder.
(e) To appoint inspectors and vest them with such powers, and impose on them such duties as may be necessary for the enforcement of §§ 815—815g of this title.
(f) To carry out the necessary tests and studies in order to adopt the best standards and practices to attain the objectives of §§ 815—815g of this title.
(g) To establish reasonable fees for the inspection and supervision that the Department of Agriculture may provide to farmers and other persons who may voluntarily avail themselves of the services promoted by said Department to encourage and achieve the improvement of fowl.
(h) To issue licenses to persons engaged in the introduction or marketing of, or in the business of producing, fowl and hatching eggs. To deny such license when the applicant does not meet the requirements established in §§ 815—815g of this title and in the regulations promulgated hereunder.
(i) To cancel or suspend licenses when he determines, after an administrative hearing, that the person has not complied with the requirements established in §§ 815—815g of this title and in the regulations promulgated hereunder, as provided in § 815d of this title.
(j) To enter into cooperation and other agreements and contracts, with persons, agencies or instrumentalities of the federal, or any state or municipal government, when he may deem it necessary or useful for the proper accomplishment of the purposes of §§ 815—815g of this title.
(k) To do all things necessary to achieve the purposes of §§ 815—815g of this title.
History —June 25, 1966, No. 124, p. 383, § 4, eff. 120 days after June 25, 1966.