Section 1327.50. [Effective 3/23/2016] Director of agriculture - powers and duties

The director of agriculture shall:

(A) Maintain traceability of the state standards to those of the international system of units ;

(B) Enforce sections 1327.46 to 1327.61 of the Revised Code;

(C) Issue reasonable rules for the uniform enforcement of sections 1327.46 to 1327.61 of the Revised Code, which rules shall have the force and effect of law;

(D) Establish standards of weight, measure, or count, reasonable standards of fill, and standards for the voluntary presentation of cost per unit information for any package;

(E) Grant any exemptions from sections 1327.46 to 1327.61 of the Revised Code, or any rules adopted under those sections, when appropriate to the maintenance of good commercial practices in the state;

(F) Conduct investigations to ensure compliance with sections 1327.46 to 1327.61 of the Revised Code;

(G) Delegate to appropriate personnel any of these responsibilities for the proper administration of the director's office;

(H) Test as often as is prescribed by rule the standards of weight and measure used by any municipal corporation or county within the state, and approve the same when found to be correct;

(I) Inspect and test weights and measures that are sold;

(J) Inspect and test to ascertain if they are correct, weights and measures commercially used either:

(1) In determining the weight, measure, or count of commodities or things sold on the basis of weight, measure, or count;

(2) In computing the basic charge or payment for goods or services rendered on the basis of weight, measure, or count.

(K) Test all weights and measures used in checking the receipt or disbursement of supplies in every institution, for the maintenance of which funds are appropriated by the general assembly;

(L) Approve for use, and may mark, such weights and measures as the director finds to be correct, and shall reject and mark as rejected such weights and measures as the director finds to be incorrect. Weights and measures that have been rejected may be seized if not corrected within the time specified or if used or disposed of in a manner not specifically authorized, and may be condemned and seized if found to be incorrect and not capable of being made correct.

(M) Weigh, measure, or inspect packaged commodities that are sold or in the process of delivery to determine whether they contain the amounts represented and whether they are sold in accordance with sections 1327.46 to 1327.61 of the Revised Code or rules adopted under those sections. In carrying out this section, the director shall employ recognized sampling procedures, such as those designated in the national institute of standards and technology handbook 133 "checking the net contents of packaged goods."

(N) Prescribe by rule the appropriate term or unit of weight or measure to be used, whenever the director determines in the case of a specific commodity that an existing practice of declaring the quantity by weight, measure, numerical count, or combination thereof, does not facilitate value comparisons by consumers, or offers an opportunity for consumer confusion;

(O) Allow reasonable variations from the stated quantity of contents, which shall include those caused by unavoidable deviations in good manufacturing practice and by loss or gain of moisture during the course of good distribution practice, only after the commodity has entered intrastate commerce;

(P) Provide for the weights and measures training of inspector personnel and establish minimum training requirements, which shall be met by all inspector personnel, whether county, municipal, or state;

(Q) Prescribe the methods of tests and inspections to be employed in the enforcement of sections 1327.46 to 1327.61 of the Revised Code. The director may prescribe the official test and inspection forms to be used.

(R) Provide by rule for registration with the director of service persons who are employed by commercially used weighing and measuring device servicing agencies;

(S) In conjunction with the national institute of standards and technology, operate a type evaluation program for certification of weighing and measuring devices as part of the national type evaluation program. The director shall establish a schedule of fees for services rendered by the department of agriculture for type evaluation services. The director may require any weighing or measuring instrument or device to be traceable to a national type evaluation program certificate of conformance prior to use for commercial or law enforcement purposes.

(T) Verify advertised prices, price representations, and point-of-sale systems, as necessary, to determine both the accuracy of prices and computations and the correct use of the equipment and the accuracy of prices printed or recalled from a database if a system utilizes scanning or coding in lieu o f manual entry. In order to implement this division, the director shall do all of the following:

(1) Employ recognized procedures such as those designated in the national institute of standards and technology handbook 130, uniform laws and regulations, "examination procedures for price verification";

(2) Adopt rules establishing requirements governing the accuracy of advertised prices and point-of-sale systems and establishing requirements and procedures for the enforcement of this division;

(3) Conduct necessary inspections.

Amended by 131st General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 131, §1, eff. 3/23/2016.

Amended by 129th General AssemblyFile No.28, HB 153, §101.01, eff. 6/30/2011.

Effective Date: 03-22-2001