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Code of Virginia
Title 3.2. Agriculture, Animal Care, and Food
Chapter 54. Slaughterhouses, Meat, and Dressed Poultry
6/3/2023

§ 3.2-5405. Powers of Commissioner.

A. The Commissioner may:

1. Order removal of inspectors from any establishment that fails to destroy condemned products as required under subdivision 2 of § 3.2-5404;

2. Order cessation of inspection service under this chapter with respect to any establishment for causes specified in § 671 of the Federal Meat Inspection Act or § 467 of the federal Poultry Products Inspection Act;

3. Order labeling and containers to be withheld from use if he determines that the labeling is false or misleading or the containers are of a misleading size or form;

4. Require that equines be slaughtered and prepared in establishments separate from establishments where other livestock are slaughtered or their products are prepared;

5. Appoint and prescribe the duties of such inspectors and other personnel as he deems necessary for the efficient execution of the provisions of this chapter;

6. Cooperate with the U.S. Department of Agriculture in administration of this chapter to effectuate the purposes stated in § 3.2-5403; accept federal assistance for that purpose and spend public funds of the Commonwealth appropriated for administration of this chapter to pay 50 percent of the estimated total cost of the cooperative program;

7. Recommend to the U.S. Department of Agriculture for appointment to the advisory committees provided for in the federal acts, such officials or employees of the Department as the Commissioner shall designate;

8. Serve as the representative of the Governor for consultation with said Secretary under § 661(c) of the Federal Meat Inspection Act and § 454(c) of the federal Poultry Products Inspection Act unless the Governor selects another representative; and

9. Exempt the operations of any person from inspection or other requirements of this article if and to the extent such operations would be exempt from the corresponding requirements under the federal acts if they were conducted in or for interstate commerce or if the Commonwealth was designated under the federal acts as one in which the federal requirements apply to intrastate commerce.

B. Any order issued under subdivisions 1, 2, or 3 of subsection A shall be final unless appealed in accordance with the provisions of the Administrative Process Act (§ 2.2-4000 et seq.).

1970, c. 290, §§ 3.1-884.21, 3.1-884.30; 1986, c. 615; 2008, c. 860; 2020, c. 318.

The chapters of the acts of assembly referenced in the historical citation at the end of this section may not constitute a comprehensive list of such chapters and may exclude chapters whose provisions have expired.