reglab/statecodes huggingface dataset:
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 23 - Fertilizer (§§ 501 — 535) › § 534 - Review of administrative decisions

Any administrative decision of the Secretary establishing penalties for deficiencies or levying administrative fines may be appealed from within the fifteen (15) days following the date on which the aggrieved party was served notice of the decision. The appeal shall be filed in the proper part of the Court of First Instance of Puerto Rico against the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, without the giving of bond, and shall be notified to the Secretary of Justice, who shall file his answer within the terms specified for any ordinary action. The case shall be heard without subjection to docket and against the judgment rendered no remedy shall lie other than a writ of certiorari before the Supreme Court, limited to issues of law. The effect of such contested administrative decisions shall not be stayed at any time until a final and definite judicial decision is rendered annulling the same.
History —May 8, 1973, No. 19, p. 57, § 16, eff. 120 days after May 8, 1973.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 23 - Fertilizer (§§ 501 — 535) › § 535 - Penalties

Any person who manufactures or distributes any commercial fertilizer, raw material for fertilizer or soil additive in Puerto Rico without first having complied with the provisions of §§ 521 and 522 of this title or with the regulations which by virtue of the latter have been established, or who alters or adulterates the contents of a commercial fertilizer or soil additive to distribute it, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction shall be punished by a fine of not less than five hundred dollars ($500) nor more than one thousand dollars ($1,000), and in default of payment thereof, by imprisonment that shall not exceed three (3) months, or both penalties at the discretion of the court.
Likewise, every violation of any other provision of §§ 519—535 of this title or of the regulations established thereunder shall be deemed as a misdemeanor and be punished by a fine of not less than three hundred dollars ($300) nor more than five hundred dollars ($500), and in default of payment thereof, by imprisonment that shall not exceed one month. When the fines prescribed by this section are imposed on juridical entities, collection may be made through the attachment of any real or personal property of the violator, as in the case of property taxes, through due process of law in court. Original jurisdiction to take cognizance of the offenses determined in this chapter shall be vested, in the first instance, in the part of the Court of First Instance where the facts charged as such offenses occurred.
History —May 8, 1973, No. 19, p. 57, § 17; Aug. 24, 1997, No. 103, § 11, eff. 30 days after Aug. 24, 1997.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 24 - Agricultural Materials Analysis and Registration Laboratory (§§ 537 — 538) › § 537 - Fees

(a) The Secretary of Agriculture is hereby authorized to charge a fee for voluntary (non-compulsory) services rendered by the Agricultural Materials Analysis and Registration Laboratory [of the Department of Agriculture] to private persons or entities that request them. The income derived therefrom shall be covered into the Agricultural Materials Analysis and Registration Laboratory Fund under the authority of subsection (b) of this section.
No fee whatsoever shall be charged for any service of a compulsory nature rendered by said laboratory under the laws in effect that govern the sale or distribution of agricultural supplies (pesticides, commercial fertilizers and commercial feed for domestic animals), in Puerto Rico, enforced by the Department of Agriculture.
(b) During the first five (5) years of the effectiveness of this act, the fees collected for this service shall be covered into a special fund, separate and distinct from all other money or fund belonging to the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, destined to the Agricultural Materials Analysis and Registration Laboratory, that will be under the custody of the Secretary of the Treasury for the exclusive use of the Department of Agriculture. The funds that the Legislature appropriates for the operation of the laboratory, those collected for voluntary services rendered by it pursuant to what is provided by subsection (a) of this section, those collected for any other services, contributions from the federal government and any other funds that are obtained, shall also be covered into this account.
Notwithstanding this, prior to using the funds deposited in the Special Fund, the Department of Agriculture shall submit a proposal for the use of these funds to the Office of the Management and Budget. The remainder of the funds that have not been used or obligated on the 30th of June of each fiscal year, for the purposes of this section, shall be transferred to the General Fund of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
When the first five (5) years of effectiveness of this act have elapsed, the Special Fund created herein shall be eliminated and the sums collected on this account shall subsequently be covered into the General Fund.
(c) The Secretary shall establish by regulations, the fees he/she is authorized to charge under this section, which shall be reasonable and shall be determined, taking into consideration the complexity of the analysis, the average time entailed and the prevailing market fees or charges for these analyses, among other factors.
History —Dec. 6, 1990, No. 24, p. 1511, §§ 1-3.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 24 - Agricultural Materials Analysis and Registration Laboratory (§§ 537 — 538) › § 538 - Special fund

(a) We hereby authorize the creation of a special fund that shall be known as the “Special Fund for the Agricultural Materials Analysis and Registration Laboratory”. The Fund shall be administered by the Department of Agriculture for the benefit of the Agricultural Materials Analysis and Registration Laboratory, known as the Agrological Laboratory. Said Fund shall receive monies from the following sources:
(1) Collection of a registration fee in the case of pesticides distributed or sold in Puerto Rico.
(2) A special tax in the case of commercial fertilizers, the raw materials of fertilizers manufactured and distributed in Puerto Rico.
(3) The inspection fee in the case of commercial feed sold or distributed locally, pursuant to what is established in the regulations that govern said products.
(4) Collection of a fee for the taking of samples and/or conducting analyses that are requested from the Agrological Laboratory, including the analysis of residues.
(5) Payment of fines imposed on those found guilty of violating the Department of Agriculture regulations that the Agrological Laboratory has the obligation of enforcing.
The income destined to said Fund shall be used for the proper operation of the “Agricultural Material Analysis and Registration Laboratory”.
(b) The Department of Agriculture shall draft and promulgate the applicable regulations for the creation and management of the Fund, and shall include the parameters for the use of available funds.
History —Aug. 4, 2001, No. 91, §§ 1, 2.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 25 - Commercial Feed (§§ 541 — 565) › § 554 - Short title

Sections 554—565 of this title shall be known by the short title of “Commercial Feed for Domestic Animals Act of Puerto Rico”.
History —June 28, 1962, No. 110, p. 326, § 1, eff. July 1, 1962.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 25 - Commercial Feed (§§ 541 — 565) › § 555 - Definitions

For the purposes of §§ 554—565 of this title the following definitions shall govern:
(a) Secretary. — The Secretary of Agriculture of Puerto Rico or his authorized representative.
(b) Person. — Any individual, partnership, association, cooperative association, corporation, or any other form of legal organization.
(c) Distribute. — [To] have for sale, offer for sale, sell or otherwise supply commercial feeds.
(d) Commercial feed. — All material or mixture of materials distributed for use in the feeding of domestic animals, including mineral supplements, vitamin or mineral supplements with vitamins intended to supply mainly mineral elements or inorganic nutrients, but excluding hay, fresh grass, whole and unblended grains and seeds, and molasses which have not been diluted or mixed with other matter.
(e) Domestic animals. — Includes all kinds of bovine, dairy and beef cattle; [swine; horses, donkeys and mules; goats;] sheep; rabbits and fowl for commercial production of meat and eggs.
(f) Label. — All material written, printed or engraved on or otherwise attached to the receptacle or container in which commercial feed is distributed.
(g) Ton. — A net weight of two thousand pounds avoirdupois.
(h) Official sample. — A sample of a commercial feed taken by the Secretary or his authorized agent.
(i) Original container. — The immediate container of the commercial feed for domestic animals, including wagons, trucks, trailers, or any other means used to deliver to the buyer said feed, when same is sold in bulk.
(j) Manufacturer. — Any person who in or outside of Puerto Rico manufactures, packs or repackages or, in any other way, produces and processes commercial feed for sale and distribution in Puerto Rico.
History —June 28, 1962, No. 110, p. 326, § 2; May 24, 1967, No. 61, p. 250, § 1; May 30, 1970, No. 73, p. 185, § 1; July 11, 1979, No. 88, p. 210, § 1.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 25 - Commercial Feed (§§ 541 — 565) › § 557 - Labeling

(a) Every commercial feed distributed in Puerto Rico shall bear a mark or label containing the following information, printed in Spanish or English; Provided, That the information required under clause (2) of this subsection shall always appear in Spanish, and at his option, also in English or in any other language that the manufacturer might wish. The information required in clause (4) of this subsection shall also appear in Spanish.
(1) The name and brand of the commercial feed.
(2) Specific indication of the animals for which the commercial feed is distributed; and sex, growth or grade of development, or other conditions or characteristics thereof, such as: breeding condition, productivity or nonproductivity or use or purpose of the animal, as the case may be, when the commercial feed bears any purpose or specific use related with one or more of said characteristics or conditions of the animal.
(3) The name of each of the substances or ingredients and of the additives composing the commercial feed in accordance with what the Secretary may provide by regulation, pursuant to subdivision (4), subsection (b) of Section 3 of this act. The Secretary may permit the use of those generic terms that as such be approved by the Food and Drug Administration of the United States for the ingredients included in such terms and which perform a similar function.
(4) The guaranteed analysis of the commercial feed in accordance with the provisions of subsection (5) of section 3(b) of this act.
(5) The name and address of the manufacturer who guarantees the composition and analysis of the commercial feed.
(6) The net weight.
(7) The registration number assigned by the Secretary.
(b) When a commercial feed contains medication, hormones or other drugs, the label shall indicate the technical name and the concentration of each of said substances. The purposes of these substances, specific and clear instructions on how to use said feed, the rations for each animal, and the warnings and precautions that must be observed to prevent the commercial feed from being used in an improper or inadequate manner, shall be stated in the Spanish language.
(c) When the commercial feed is distributed in bags or other containers, each bag or container shall bear a label. When the commercial feed is distributed in bulk, the label shall accompany each shipment and a copy thereof shall be supplied to each purchaser at the time of delivery.
History —June 28, 1962, No. 110, p. 326, § 4; June 14, 1966, No. 41, p. 172, § 2; May 30, 1970, No. 73, p. 185, § 3; June 5, 1973, No. 92, p. 392, § 2; Aug. 8, 2002, No. 127, § 5.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 25 - Commercial Feed (§§ 541 — 565) › § 558 - False labeling

(a) The distribution in Puerto Rico of commercial feeds falsely labeled is hereby prohibited.
(b) A commercial feed shall be deemed as falsely labeled:
(1) If the label does not contain all the information required by regulations.
(2) If the information required in the label differs from the data in the certificate of registration issued by the Secretary.
(3) If it contains false or unjustified claims on the nutritious value, properties or uses of the commercial feed.
(4) If the information required by §§ 554—565 of this title or its regulations which appears in the label is inconspicuous or difficult to read.
History —June 28, 1962, No. 110, p. 326, § 5; May 30, 1970, No. 73, p. 185, § 4; Aug. 8, 2002, No. 127, § 6.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 25 - Commercial Feed (§§ 541 — 565) › § 559 - Adulteration

(a) The distribution in Puerto Rico of adulterated commercial feeds is hereby prohibited.
(b) A commercial feed shall be considered adulterated:
(1) If it contains ingredients whose use in that commercial feed is prohibited by any regulation promulgated by the Secretary.
(2) If the analysis of an official sample reveals that the composition of the feed is inferior to that guaranteed in the label.
(3) If the analysis of an official sample discloses that one or more of the individual or generic ingredients declared in the certificate of registration have been omitted from the commercial feed, or totally or partially substituted for other ingredient or ingredients, or that ingredients have been added different from those declared in the certificate of registration.
(4) If the commercial feed has insects, fungus, bacteria or other organisms and microorganisms which may affect the quality of the feed, whether it be in its nutritional value or by producing deleterious substances which could make it harmful or dangerous to the health of the animal that consumes it.
History —June 28, 1962, No. 110, p. 326, § 6; June 5, 1973, No. 92, p. 392, § 3; July 11, 1979, No. 88, p. 210, § 2.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 25 - Commercial Feed (§§ 541 — 565) › § 560 - Inspection, sample taking, and analysis

(a) The Secretary shall be empowered to direct the inspection, taking of samples and analysis of the commercial feeds distributed in Puerto Rico, and to publish the results of said inspections and analysis in bulletins, newspapers, reviews, or in any other form deemed convenient, for the knowledge of the general public.
(b) To enforce the provisions of this section, the Secretary or his authorized representative is hereby empowered to enter, during working hours, any building, warehouse, store, ship, vehicle or place where commercial feeds are manufactured, stored, transported, offered for sale, or otherwise distributed in Puerto Rico.
Any person refusing entrance to the Secretary or his authorized representative during working hours into any building, warehouse, store, ship, vehicle or place where commercial feeds are manufactured, stored, transported, offered for sale, or otherwise distributed in Puerto Rico, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and punished by a fine of not more than three hundred dollars ($300) or by imprisonment in jail for a term of not more than thirty (30) days, or both, in the discretion of the court.
(c) When the inspection or analysis of an official sample discloses that a commercial feed is adulterated or falsely labeled, the Secretary shall notify the person in whose name the registration of the commercial feed was made in Puerto Rico, or the person who manufactured, imported or distributed in Puerto Rico the commercial feed without being duly registered, granting him ten days within which to submit any allegation or to request a portion of the official sample. When a portion of the official sample is requested, the term for submitting allegations shall be extended to twenty days reckoning from the date of the receipt of the portion of the official sample. The report on the inspection or analysis of an official sample shall not be otherwise annulled or altered unless adequate evidence is presented which justifies such action. If the person to whom the violation was notified does not submit any allegation within the period above specified, the result of the inspection and analysis of the official sample shall be considered final and unappealable, and the Secretary shall proceed as he may deem pertinent in accordance with the powers vested in him by §§ 554-565 of this title and the regulations promulgated thereunder.
History —June 28, 1962, No. 110, p. 326, § 7; May 30, 1970, No. 73, p. 185, § 5; June 5, 1973, No. 92, p. 392, § 4, eff. 60 days after June 5, 1973.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 25 - Commercial Feed (§§ 541 — 565) › § 560a - Penalties for not conforming commercial feed to its guarantee

In the event that a commercial feed does not conform to the guarantee, or shows a deficiency in the guaranteed analysis stated in its registration, or in its labeling, it shall constitute a gross violation of §§ 554—565 of this title and the manufacturer of said commercial feed shall be subject to respond pursuant to the criminal and administrative penalties to be established through regulations.
History —June 28, 1962, No. 110, p. 326, added as § 7-A on June 14, 1966, No. 41, p. 172, § 3; May 24, 1967, No. 61, p. 250, § 2; June 5, 1973, No. 92, p. 392, § 5; Aug. 8, 2002, No. 127, § 7.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 25 - Commercial Feed (§§ 541 — 565) › § 561 - Stoppage and confiscation of commercial feed

(a) The Secretary shall be empowered to issue an order of stoppage with respect to any lot of commercial feed that in his judgment is being distributed in violation of any of the provisions of §§ 554—565 of this title or of the regulations promulgated hereunder. It is hereby prohibited to distribute or otherwise dispose of a lot of commercial feed so stopped without the previous written authorization of the Secretary or of a court of competent jurisdiction. Notwithstanding the penalties prescribed elsewhere in §§ 554—565 of this title, which shall not be applicable to this offense, any person who distributes or in any wise disposes of a lot of stopped commercial feed without the previous written authorization of the Secretary or of a court of competent jurisdiction, shall incur in a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof shall be punished by a fine of not less than two hundred dollars ($200) nor more than two thousand dollars ($2,000) or by imprisonment in jail for not less than ten (10) days nor more than ninety (90) days, or by both penalties, at the discretion of the court.
(b) The Secretary shall stay the order of stoppage with respect to a lot of commercial feed when the violations are corrected to his satisfaction within a period of thirty (30) days reckoning from the date of the issuance of the order of stoppage. When the violations are not corrected within said period of thirty (30) days, the lot of commercial feed shall be stopped subject to confiscation, destruction or other disposition upon order of a court of competent jurisdiction on request of the Secretary.
History —June 28, 1962, No. 110, p. 326, § 8; May 1, 1964, No. 16, p. 52.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 25 - Commercial Feed (§§ 541 — 565) › § 562 - Inspection fees and sales report

(a) An inspection fee of forty cents ($0.40) is hereby established for each ton of commercial feed distributed in Puerto Rico. All proceeds from this inspection fee shall be covered into the Special Agricultural Materials Analysis Laboratory and Registration Fund—Commonwealth of Puerto Rico Department of Agriculture.
(b) Exempt from payment of this inspection fee shall be all raw materials, mixture of raw materials, or any commercial feed sold to manufacturers of commercial feeds and used in the elaboration of commercial feeds registered under the provisions of §§ 554—565 of this title.
(c) Every person who registers and/or distributes one or more commercial feeds shall be bound to present to the Secretary, within the first thirty (30) days after the close of each [trimester], a statement in accordance with the model form prepared by the Secretary, indicating the number of tons of each commercial feed distributed in Puerto Rico during said trimester; Provided, That for the purposes of §§ 554-565 of this title, the signing of said statement by the affiant shall be considered and shall have the same legal effects as if it had been signed under oath. This statement shall be accompanied by the corresponding amount of the inspection fees. When an unregistered commercial feed has been distributed in Puerto Rico, the person who has distributed said commercial feed shall be bound to submit the above mentioned statement and to pay the corresponding inspection fees, and shall also be subject to the penalties prescribed by §§ 554—565 of this title.
(d) The Secretary or his representative is hereby authorized to examine books, bills of lading, invoices, or any other documents necessary to establish the veracity of the quarterly affidavits on commercial feeds distributed in Puerto Rico, to which end he is hereby empowered to enter, during working hours, any establishment where commercial feeds are distributed in Puerto Rico; Provided, That the evidence obtained under the provisions of this subsection may only be used in the enforcement of §§ 554—565 of this title.
(e) Any person who refuses to permit the inspection authorized by subsection (d) of this section or by the rules and regulations approved by the Secretary thereunder shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and punished by a fine of not more than three hundred dollars ($300) or by imprisonment in jail for a term of not more than thirty (30) days, or both, at the discretion of the court.
History —June 28, 1962, No. 110, p. 326, § 9; May 30, 1970, No. 73, p. 185, § 6; June 5, 1973, No. 92, p. 392, § 6; Aug. 8, 2002, No. 127, § 8.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 25 - Commercial Feed (§§ 541 — 565) › § 563 - Rules and regulations

(a) The Secretary is hereby empowered to promulgate all rules and regulations necessary to carry out the purposes of §§ 554—565 of this title. In addition to the rules and regulations that may be made under the provisions of other sections of this act, the Secretary may also promulgate rules and regulations for:
(1) Prohibiting or limiting the use of materials of little or no nutritious value in the commercial feeds distributed in Puerto Rico.
(2) Prohibiting or limiting the use in commercial feeds of drugs or hormones in concentrations that may unfavorably affect human health upon consuming the meat, milk or eggs of the animals fed on them, or the health of the animals themselves.
(3) Establishing quality or component standards for the commercial feeds distributed in Puerto Rico.
(4) Establishing the definitions which shall govern the different ingredients or substances composing the commercial feeds.
History —June 28, 1962, No. 110, p. 326, § 10, eff. July 1, 1962.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 25 - Commercial Feed (§§ 541 — 565) › § 564 - Cancellation of registration

The Secretary may cancel all registrations of commercial feeds in behalf of a person who fails to render within the term specified by §§ 554—565 of this title the quarterly affidavits in respect to each commercial feed so registered in his behalf and distributed in Puerto Rico, or who defaults in the payment of the corresponding inspection fees within said term, or who makes a false statement as to the number of tons of each commercial feed distributed during the corresponding quarter, or when the Secretary shall find any such commercial feed is distributed in violation of any of the provisions of §§ 554—565 of this title or of the regulations promulgated hereunder.
History —June 28, 1962, No. 110, p. 326, § 11, eff. July 1, 1962.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 25 - Commercial Feed (§§ 541 — 565) › § 564a - Revision of administrative determinations

Any administrative determination of the Secretary establishing that a commercial feed is adulterated, or falsely labeled, or that the composition and analysis of the feed is not in accordance with what was guaranteed at the time of registration in the Department of Agriculture of Puerto Rico, may be appealed from within the fifteen (15) days following the date of notice of such determination on the party aggrieved. The appeal shall be taken through complaint filed in the corresponding part of the Court of First Instance of Puerto Rico against the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, without furnishing of bond, which complaint shall be notified to the Secretary of Justice, who shall present his allegations within the term specified for any ordinary action. The hearing shall be held without subjection to docket, and against the judgment rendered no remedy shall lie except that of certiorari before the Supreme Court, limited to issues of law. The effect of the said challenged administrative determinations shall at no time be stayed until a final and executory judgment annulling same is issued.
History —June 28, 1962, No. 110, p. 326, added as § 11-A on June 14, 1966, No. 41, p. 172, § 4.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 27 - Prevention of Plant Diseases (§§ 581 — 613o) › § 610 - Coffee imports from infected areas—Prohibition

It shall be illegal to introduce into Puerto Rico any coffee plants, seeds or beans, or bags used for coffee, coming from the countries where the insect Stephanoderes coffeae exists, or from any other country which shall have imported coffee plants, seeds or beans coming from the said countries; Provided, That this prohibition does not include the roasted or ground coffee bean.
—May 11, 1938, No. 184, p. 368, § 1.
History
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 27 - Prevention of Plant Diseases (§§ 581 — 613o) › § 611 - Coffee imports from infected areas—Penalties

Any violation of the provisions of §§ 610—612 of this title shall be considered a misdemeanor, and punishable by a fine of not less than one hundred dollars ($100) and imprisonment for not less than ten (10) days.
History —May 11, 1938, No. 184, p. 368, § 2.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 27 - Prevention of Plant Diseases (§§ 581 — 613o) › § 612 - Coffee imports from infected areas—Enforcement

The Secretary of Agriculture is authorized to prepare the regulations necessary for the best enforcement of §§ 610—612 of this title.
History —May 11, 1938, No. 184, p. 368, § 3.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 27 - Prevention of Plant Diseases (§§ 581 — 613o) › § 613 - Short title

Sections 613—613n of this title may be cited as the “Plant Quarantine Act of Puerto Rico”.
History —June 5, 1973, No. 93, p. 397, § 1, eff. 120 days after June 5, 1973.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 27 - Prevention of Plant Diseases (§§ 581 — 613o) › § 613a - Definitions

(a) Puerto Rico. — Means the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
(b) Secretary. — Means the Secretary of Agriculture of Puerto Rico.
(c) Department. — Means the Department of Agriculture of Puerto Rico.
(d) Person. — Means [any] natural or [juridical] person, his agents, employees or representatives.
(e) Inspector. — Means the representative of the Secretary duly authorized to enforce §§ 613—613n of this title and the regulations or quarantines promulgated hereunder.
(f) Plants and plant products. — Means any vegetative matter and includes but does not limit itself to trees, shrubs, vines, forage and farinaceous plants, grains, garden stuff, cereals and parts or products of plants such as leaves, stems, branches, roots, fruits, flowers, bulbs, tubers, stolons, cuttings, buds, grafts, seeds, trunks and wood.
(g) Plant pests. — Means any insect or other arthropod, mollusk mushroom, bacterial or viral disease, nematode, parasitic plant, or any other organism or thing harmful to plants or plant products, including any stage or phase of development of such organism or thing.
(h) Vegetative material for propagation. — Means all plants and plant products, trees, shrubs, vines, bulbs, cuttings, grafts, buds and seeds cultivated or maintained for, or capable of propagation, distribution or sale, unless they be specifically excluded through regulation promulgated by the Secretary.
—June 5, 1973, No. 93, p. 397, § 2, eff. 120 days after June 5, 1973.
History
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 27 - Prevention of Plant Diseases (§§ 581 — 613o) › § 613b - Introduction of soil, earth or sand, prohibition

It is hereby prohibited to introduce into Puerto Rico, from any place abroad, soil, earth, sand or any similar material, unless by permit granted by the Secretary and in accordance with the conditions he may prescribe.
The Secretary may refuse to issue a permit or may suspend a permit he has issued to introduce any of the above mentioned materials when such introduction may involve any risk of propagation of plant pests in Puerto Rico.
History —June 5, 1973, No. 93, p. 397, § 3, eff. 120 days after June 5, 1973.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 27 - Prevention of Plant Diseases (§§ 581 — 613o) › § 613e - Treatment or destruction of infested plants—Notification

Whenever the Secretary or his authorized representative finds, upon an inspection, any plant or plant product or vegetative material for propagation infested or infected with any harmful plant pest, he shall give written notice to such effect to the owner or person in charge of the establishment or facilities where such plant or plant product is, and the owner or person in charge shall remove and destroy the plant or plant product infested or infected, if satisfactory treatment is not possible, or shall cause the plant, plant product or vegetative material for propagation to be treated in the manner directed in the notice.
In case the owner or person in charge fails or refuses to comply with the terms of the notice, within the reasonable time established in said notice, which in no case shall be less than 48 hours, the Secretary may proceed to give treatment or to destroy the plant, plant product or vegetative material for propagation infested or infected without payment of any compensation whatsoever. The expenses incurred by the Department in such treatment or destruction shall be charged to the owner of the plant or plant product.
History —June 5, 1973, No. 93, p. 397, § 6, eff. 120 days after June 5, 1973.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 27 - Prevention of Plant Diseases (§§ 581 — 613o) › § 613f - Treatment or destruction of infested plants—Damages, claims

In cases where as a result of the administrative treatment, any plant, plant product or vegetative material for propagation has been damaged or unduly confiscated or destroyed under the authority of §§ 613—613n of this title, through fault or negligence of the Secretary or his authorized representative, the owner may recover the loss and damages sustained by him through action brought against the Commonwealth under §§ 3077—3092a of Title 32, which authorizes claims against the Commonwealth. The provisions of subsections (a) and (b) of § 3081 of Title 32 shall not apply to such actions.
History —June 5, 1973, No. 93, p. 397, § 7, eff. 120 days after June 5, 1973.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 27 - Prevention of Plant Diseases (§§ 581 — 613o) › § 613g - Introduction of insects

The introduction into Puerto Rico of any insect alive or dead or in any stage of development, or of any plant pest, is hereby prohibited, unless authorized upon previous permit granted by the Secretary, and unless made in accordance with the conditions that the Secretary may prescribe in the permit.
The Secretary may refuse to issue a permit for the introduction into Puerto Rico of any insect alive or dead or in any stage of development or of any plant pest when said introduction may involve any risk of propagation of such insect or plant pest.
History —June 5, 1973, No. 93, p. 397, § 8, eff. 120 days after June 5, 1973.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 27 - Prevention of Plant Diseases (§§ 581 — 613o) › § 613h - Introduction of plants, etc., by experimental stations

The Secretary may permit the introduction by experimental stations of the Government of the United States and of the Government of Puerto Rico for experimental or scientific purposes of any kind of plant, plant product, vegetative material for propagation, soil, earth or sand, as well as plant pests or any other material or goods whose introduction into Puerto Rico is prohibited or restricted under the authority of §§ 613—613n of this title. The introduction shall be made in accordance with the conditions and regulations that the Secretary may prescribe in such cases.
History —June 5, 1973, No. 93, p. 397, § 9, eff. 120 days after June 5, 1973.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 27 - Prevention of Plant Diseases (§§ 581 — 613o) › § 613i - Introduction of adult bees

There shall not be introduced into Puerto Rico from any state, territory or district of the United States or from any other country adult bees (queen bees, workers and drones or male bees) of all the species of the Apis genus, or eggs, larvae, nymphs or pupas, or honeycombs; Provided, That there may be introduced into Puerto Rico when in suitable cages, queen bees, together with a number of workers which shall not exceed thirty (30) and without a honeycomb containing eggs, larvae, nymphs or other bees. Introduction in these cases shall be made upon previous permit granted by the Secretary and under those conditions that the Secretary may prescribe in the permit.
History —June 5, 1973, No. 93, p. 397, § 10, eff. 120 days after June 5, 1973.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 27 - Prevention of Plant Diseases (§§ 581 — 613o) › § 613j - Receipt of plants, etc., subject to inspection; notice to Secretary

Any person, including shipping and airlines and other public carriers and military transports of any kind which may receive in Puerto Rico plants, plant products, vegetative material for propagation or other things capable of harboring or carrying plant pests and which are subject to inspection under the provisions of §§ 613—613n of this title or of the regulations or quarantines established hereunder shall forthwith notify the Secretary or an inspector, and isolate and keep said plant, plant product, or vegetative material or thing without being used or opened until submitted to inspection by an inspector and the latter makes the proper decision.
History —June 5, 1973, No. 93, p. 397, § 11, eff. 120 days after June 5, 1973.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 27 - Prevention of Plant Diseases (§§ 581 — 613o) › § 613k - Declaration of quarantine

Whenever by virtue of the provisions of §§ 613—613n of this title the Secretary declares any quarantine with respect to any orchard, nursery for propagation, farm, region or place in Puerto Rico, or with respect to any state, territory or district of the United States, or foreign country, because of the existence of any harmful plant pest in such places, it shall be illegal for any person, while this quarantine is in force, to introduce, move, sell or otherwise dispose of in Puerto Rico any plant, plant product, goods or thing covered by the provisions of such quarantine, except under the regulation that the Secretary may prescribe.
History —June 5, 1973, No. 93, p. 397, § 12, eff. 120 days after June 5, 1973.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 27 - Prevention of Plant Diseases (§§ 581 — 613o) › § 613l - Plant Quarantine Technical Board

The Secretary is hereby authorized to appoint a Plant Quarantine Technical Board, composed of five (5) members, which shall be the advisory body of the Secretary in matters related with plant quarantine. Ex officio members of said Board shall be the Secretary, who shall be its Chairman, or the Subsecretary of Agriculture, and the head of the Plant Quarantine Service. The other three (3) members shall be designated from among those specialists in phytopathology or entomology or in any branch related therewith, who in any manner hold positions of their specialties in the government educational, technical or scientific institutions established in Puerto Rico. Such appointments shall be for an indefinite time and in the discretion of the Secretary, and the appointees shall serve without any compensation. In the absence of any member, the Chairman of the Plant Quarantine Technical Board may designate a substitute or alternate member to said Board.
History —June 5, 1973, No. 93, p. 397, § 13, eff. 120 days after June 5, 1973.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 27 - Prevention of Plant Diseases (§§ 581 — 613o) › § 613m - Public hearings

The Secretary may hold public hearings when he deems it advisable, giving to any interested party the opportunity of being heard, before promulgating any quarantine or regulation under the authority of §§ 613—613n of this title.
History —June 5, 1973, No. 93, p. 397, § 14, eff. 120 days after June 5, 1973.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 27 - Prevention of Plant Diseases (§§ 581 — 613o) › § 613n - Penalties

Any person who violates any provision of §§ 613—613n of this title or of any quarantine or regulation promulgated by the Secretary hereunder, or who obstructs or may attempt to obstruct the implementation of §§ 613—613n of this title, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by a fine of not less than one hundred [dollars] ($100) and not greater than five hundred dollars ($500) or by imprisonment in jail for a term of not less than one (1) month and not greater than (6) months, or both penalties at the discretion of the court.
Aside and independent from the criminal penalties stated above, any natural or juridical person who violates any provisions of §§ 613—613n of this title shall be subject to administrative penalties, at the discretion of the Secretary, pursuant to the following provisions:
(a) For the first infraction, there shall be imposed an administrative fine of not less than five thousand dollars ($5,000) and not greater than twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000).
(b) For the second infraction, there shall be imposed an administrative fine of not less than twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) and not greater than fifty thousand dollars ($50,000).
(c) For the third infraction, there shall be imposed an administrative fine of not less than fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) and not greater than seventy-five thousand dollars ($75,000); Provided, That any natural or juridical person who violates the provisions of §§ 613—613n of this title for a third time shall be subject to the revocation of any right, license, permit, privilege or concession of any kind granted pursuant to the provisions of §§ 613—613n of this title and shall be declared ineligible for the exercise of any of the activities contemplated in §§ 613—613n of this title or any regulation promulgated thereunder. The Secretary shall establish, through regulations, a registry of natural or juridical persons to whom said rights and privileges have been revoked and see that these persons are kept in their ineligibility status pursuant to the stated above.
(d) Any person who has been declared ineligible to engage in any of the activities contemplated in §§ 613—613n of this title or any regulation promulgated thereunder, who violates any provision of §§ 613—613n of this title, shall be subject to an administrative fine of not less than seventy-five thousand dollars ($75,000) and not greater than one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) for each violation incurred subsequently, without prejudice to the criminal penalties stated before.
History —June 5, 1973, No. 93, p. 397, § 15; June 22, 1975, No. 51, p. 117, § 2; Feb. 15, 2002, No. 35, § 2.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 27 - Prevention of Plant Diseases (§§ 581 — 613o) › § 613o - Control of plant diseases and pests; Special Fund—Creation

(a) A Special Fund, which shall be known as the Special Plant Quarantine Office Fund, is hereby created separate from any other fund of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, for the exclusive use of the Plant Quarantine Office.
(b) The one hundred percent (100%) of the money collected for the issue of certificates, permits, inspections, taking of samples and analysis, administrative fines and any other activity that generates income pursuant to the provisions of §§ 613—613n of this title, known as the “Plant Quarantine Office Act of Puerto Rico” shall be covered into this fund.
(c) This fund shall be administered by the Plant Quarantine Office and shall be used exclusively to improve and extend its operation and the services rendered by complementing its appropriated budget. The money covered into the fund for the collection of services rendered by the Plant Quarantine Office shall be used to complement the following activities of the Office: purchase of equipment, payment of travel expenses, purchase of materials, uniforms, equipment maintenance services, trips abroad in representation of the Department, educational material, maintenance of the buildings, and recruiting of personnel.
(d) A special account is hereby created in the Department of the Treasury in which the revenues obtained by virtue of this section shall be deposited. The collections and disbursements shall be made in accordance with the regulations to be adopted by the Secretary of Agriculture.
Said benefits shall be remitted in its totality to the Department of Agriculture and covered into the Special Fund in the Office for the Control of Plant Diseases and Pests (Plant Quarantine Office) created by this section.
History —Jan. 5, 2002, No. 15, §§ 1-4.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 29 - Livestock Disease Control (§§ 641 — 838d) › Subchapter I - Veterinary Bacteriology and Pathology Laboratory; Government Veterinary Personnel (§§ 641 — 648-651) › § 641 - Creation

A Veterinary Bacteriology and Pathology Laboratory is hereby created in the Department of Agriculture, and it is authorized to charge a reasonable fee for the tests or analyses performed and the services rendered, and the funds so generated shall be administered by the Department of Agriculture in benefit of the laboratory. The analyses or services it renders to the Commonwealth, its agencies, dependencies or instrumentalities are hereby exempted from these payments. The Secretary of Agriculture is hereby empowered and directed to draft the needed regulations for this purpose.
History —Apr. 1, 1946, No. 254, p. 520, § 1; July 10, 1986, No. 110, p. 352, § 1.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 29 - Livestock Disease Control (§§ 641 — 838d) › Subchapter I - Veterinary Bacteriology and Pathology Laboratory; Government Veterinary Personnel (§§ 641 — 648-651) › § 642 - Location

The said laboratory shall be installed in the Industry Building of the Department of Agriculture.
History —Apr. 1, 1946, No. 254, p. 520, § 2, eff. 90 days after Apr. 1, 1946.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 29 - Livestock Disease Control (§§ 641 — 838d) › Subchapter I - Veterinary Bacteriology and Pathology Laboratory; Government Veterinary Personnel (§§ 641 — 648-651) › § 643 - Funds

Beginning with Fiscal Year 1947-48 there shall be appropriated in the general budget of expenses of the Government of Puerto Rico for each year, the funds the Legislature may deem necessary to pay the salaries of the officers and employees for, as well as the general expenses of, the said laboratory.
History —Apr. 1, 1946, No. 254, p. 520, § 4, eff. 90 days after Apr. 1, 1946.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 29 - Livestock Disease Control (§§ 641 — 838d) › Subchapter I - Veterinary Bacteriology and Pathology Laboratory; Government Veterinary Personnel (§§ 641 — 648-651) › § 644 - Certain veterinary practices—Use of trained personnel

The heads of departments and agencies of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico are hereby authorized, whenever they are unable to obtain from the Office of Personnel or through any other legal source the services of the necessary veterinary physicians for the development of the government programs, to use duly trained personnel to perform, under the supervision of an authorized veterinarian, the following veterinary practices:
(1) To take samples of blood and milk to determine the presence of brucellosis in cattle.
(2) To take samples of milk to determine the presence of mastitis in cattle.
(3) To take samples of excretion, urine and saliva.
(4) Vaccination against rabies.
(5) Castration of swine.
History —July 29, 1958, No. 4, p. 342, § 1.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 29 - Livestock Disease Control (§§ 641 — 838d) › Subchapter I - Veterinary Bacteriology and Pathology Laboratory; Government Veterinary Personnel (§§ 641 — 648-651) › § 645 - Certain veterinary practices—Training of personnel by licensed veterinarians

The heads of the departments and agencies who may need the personnel referred to in § 644 of this title shall designate one or more authorized veterinarians to instruct and train the persons designated by said officials in, and acquaint them with the performance of, the practices above specified.
History —July 29, 1958, No. 4, p. 342, § 2.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 29 - Livestock Disease Control (§§ 641 — 838d) › Subchapter I - Veterinary Bacteriology and Pathology Laboratory; Government Veterinary Personnel (§§ 641 — 648-651) › § 646 - Certain veterinary practices—Supervision by licensed veterinarians

The personnel so trained and prepared to undertake these tasks shall be assigned to perform said functions under the supervision of the veterinary or veterinarians so designated, who shall assign the specific tasks to be performed by said personnel, and the presence of the said veterinarians at the time the personnel performs such tasks shall not be necessary.
History —July 29, 1958, No. 4, p. 342, § 3.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 29 - Livestock Disease Control (§§ 641 — 838d) › Subchapter I - Veterinary Bacteriology and Pathology Laboratory; Government Veterinary Personnel (§§ 641 — 648-651) › § 647 - Certain veterinary practices—Regulation

The heads of departments or agencies of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico who may need said veterinary technicians are hereby empowered to promulgate the necessary regulation for the enforcement of §§ 644—647 of this title.
History —July 29, 1958, No. 4, p. 342, § 4.