SB1665 - 561R

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1. Section 3-3414, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE3-3414. Powers and duties; definition

A. The division shall:

1. Maintain custody of the state reference standards of weights and measures that are traceable to the United States prototype standards and that are supplied to the states by the federal government or that are otherwise approved as being satisfactory by the national institute of standards and technology.

2. Keep the state reference standards in a safe and suitable place in the metrology laboratory of the division and ensure that they are not removed from the laboratory except for repairs or for calibration as may be prescribed by the national institute of standards and technology.

3. Keep accurate records of all standards and equipment.

4. Adopt any rules necessary to carry out this chapter and adopt reasonable rules for the enforcement of this chapter. These rules have the force and effect of law and shall be adopted pursuant to title 41, chapter 6. In adopting these rules, the associate director shall consider, as far as is practicable, the requirements established by other states and by authority of the United States, except that rules shall not be made in conflict with this chapter.

5. Publish rules adopted pursuant to this chapter and issue appropriate copies at no cost to all new applicants for licensure and certification. Updated copies of the rules shall be distributed, on request, at no cost to the public.

6. Investigate complaints made to the division concerning violations of this chapter and, on its own initiative, conduct investigations it deems appropriate to develop information relating to prevailing procedures in commercial quantity determination and relating to possible violations of this chapter, in order to educate the public and regulated persons to encourage and promote the general objective of accuracy in the determination and representation of quantity in commercial transactions.

7. Establish labeling standards, establish standards of weight, measure or count and establish reasonable standards of fill for any packaged commodity, and may establish standards for open dating information.

8. Grant, pursuant to this chapter, exemptions from the licensing provisions of this chapter for weighing and measuring instruments, standards or devices when the ownership or use of the instrument or device is limited to federal, state or local government agencies in the performance of official functions. On request, the division may conduct inspections of instruments, standards or devices and shall charge a fee pursuant to section 3-3452.

9. Delegate to appropriate personnel any of the responsibilities of the associate director for the proper administration of this chapter.

10. Inspect and test weights and measures that are kept, offered or exposed for sale.

11. Inspect and test, to ascertain if they are correct, weights and measures that are commercially used either:

(a) In determining the weight, measure or count of commodities or things sold, or offered or exposed for sale, on the basis of weight, measure or count.

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

12. Test, at random, commodities, weights and measures that are used in public institutions for which monies are appropriated by the legislature. The testing of commodities, weights and measures in public institutions includes items:

(a) That have historically been of short weight, measure or count.

(b) That have been found to be of short weight, measure or count by other jurisdictions.

13. Test, approve for use and affix a seal of approval for use on all weights, measures and commercial devices that are manufactured in or brought into this state as it finds to be correct and shall reject and mark as rejected weights, measures and devices that it finds to be incorrect. Weights, measures and devices that have been rejected may be seized by the division if not corrected within the time specified or if used or disposed of in a manner not specifically authorized. The division shall condemn and may seize weights, measures and devices that are found to be incorrect and that are not capable of being made correct. The division may affix a nontampering seal to commercial devices that are tested and found to be within applicable tolerance.

14. Sample and test motor fuel that is stored, sold or exposed or offered for sale or that is stored for use by a fleet owner to determine whether the motor fuel meets the standards for motor fuel set forth in section 3-3433 and article 6 of this chapter and in any rule adopted by the associate director pursuant to this chapter.

15. Randomly witness tests on all mandated vapor recovery systems that are installed or operated in this state and, if the systems are determined to be in compliance with the law, approve those systems for use and reject, mark as rejected and stop the use of those systems that are determined not to be in compliance with the law.

16. Inspect facilities at which motor fuel is stored, sold or exposed or offered for sale to determine whether dispensing devices are properly labeled.

17. Publish and distribute to consumers and regulated persons weighing and measuring information.

18. Weigh, measure or inspect commodities that are kept, offered or exposed for sale, sold or in the process of delivery to determine whether they contain the amounts represented and whether they are kept, offered or exposed for sale in accordance with this chapter or rules adopted pursuant to this chapter. In carrying out this section, the associate director shall employ recognized sampling procedures, such as are designated in appropriate national institute of standards and technology handbooks and supplements to those handbooks, except as modified or rejected by rule.

19. Allow reasonable variations from the stated quantity of contents only after a commodity has entered intrastate commerce. These variations shall include those caused by loss or gain of moisture during the course of good distribution practice or by unavoidable deviations in good manufacturing practice.

20. Prescribe the standards of weight and measure and additional equipment methods of test and inspection to be employed in the enforcement of this chapter. The associate director may prescribe or provide the official test and inspection forms to be used in the enforcement of this chapter.

21. Apply to any court of competent jurisdiction for a temporary or permanent injunction restraining any person from violating this chapter.

22. Subject to title 41, chapter 4, article 4, employ such personnel as needed to assist in administering this chapter.

23. Ensure that any information that is required to be filed with the division, that relates to the contents of motor fuels that are sold in this state and that is a trade secret as defined in section 49-201 is not disclosed.

24. Establish by rule labeling standards for tanks and containers of motor fuels.

B. The associate director may provide for the periodic examination and inspection of metering devices, including devices used to measure usage of electricity, natural gas or water by a consumer. Examination and inspection authority shall not apply to metering devices owned by federal, state or local government agencies unless requested by the government agency that owns the metering devices.

C. The associate director may establish standards for the presentation of cost-per-unit information. This subsection does not mandate the use of cost-per-unit information in connection with the sale of any standard packed commodity.

D. The associate director, when necessary to carry out this chapter, may adopt and enforce rules relating to quality standards for motor fuel, kerosene, oil, except used oil fuel, and hazardous waste fuel, lubricating oils, lubricants, antifreeze and other liquid or gaseous fuels. The associate director shall adopt rules to ensure that oxygenated fuels, as described in article 6 of this chapter, that are stored, used, sold or exposed or offered for use or sale are blended and stored, sold, exposed or offered in such a manner as to ensure that the oxygenated fuels are properly blended, that they meet the standards set forth in section 3-3433 and article 6 of this chapter, and in rules adopted pursuant to this chapter, and that dispensers at which the oxygenated fuels are dispensed are labeled as defined by rule of the division in such a manner as to notify persons of the type of oxygenated fuel being dispensed and the maximum percentage of oxygenate by volume contained in the oxygenated fuel. The associate director of the division shall consult with the director of the department of environmental quality in adopting rules pursuant to this subsection.

E. Testing and inspection conducted pursuant to this chapter shall be done, to the extent practicable, without prior notice, by a random systematic method determined by the associate director or in response to a complaint by the public. The testing and inspection may be done by private persons and firms pursuant to contracts entered into by the associate director in accordance with title 41, chapter 23 or by a registered service agency or registered service representative licensed pursuant to section 3-3454. The associate director shall establish qualifications of persons and firms for selection for purposes of this subsection. The persons or firms conducting the testing and inspection shall immediately report to the division any violations of this chapter and incorrect weights, measures, devices, vapor recovery systems or vapor recovery components for investigation and enforcement by the division. A person or firm that tests or inspects a weight, measure, device, vapor recovery system or vapor recovery component that is rejected shall not correct the defect causing the rejection without the permission of the division.

F. During the course of an investigation or an enforcement action by the division, information regarding the complainant is confidential and is exempt from title 39, chapter 1, unless the complainant authorizes the information to be public.

G. Testing and inspection conducted pursuant to this chapter of weights, measures and commercial devices that weigh, measure or meter or count commodities that are food items shall be conducted every two years.

G. H. For the purposes of the labeling requirements prescribed in this section, "oxygenated fuel" means a motor fuel blend containing 1.5 percent or more by weight of oxygen. END_STATUTE

Sec. 2. Section 3-3475, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE3-3475. Civil penalties; hearing

A. A person who violates this chapter, any rule of the division or any license requirement is subject to a civil penalty imposed by the associate director.

B. A person who violates this chapter, any rule of the division or any license requirement may request an informal or formal hearing to review a civil penalty imposed under this section. If the person requests an informal hearing, the division may conduct the informal hearing, in person or telephonically, to resolve a warning or citation. If the person requests a formal hearing or the warning or citation is not resolved in the informal hearing, the division shall conduct a formal hearing in accordance with title 41, chapter 6, article 10.

C. Except as prescribed in subsection C D of this section, the civil penalty shall not exceed one thousand dollars be at least $100 but not more than $1,000 for each infraction nor the first violation but not more than ten thousand dollars $10,000 for any thirty-day period at each business location, for each registered service representative or for each public weighmaster, provided that no a person shall be is not assessed more than fifty thousand dollars $50,000 per thirty-day period. For subsequent violations after the first THIRTY-day period, the civil penalty is $150 for each violation.

C. D. The associate director may double the maximum civil penalty if any of the following applies:

1. A commercial device is found to be in violation with results that favor the retailer at more than twice the allowable tolerance as stated in national institute of standards and technology handbook 44.

2. A package is found to exceed the maximum allowable variation for the labeled quantity allowed in national institute of standards and technology handbook 133 or the average error of the lot is twice the sample error limit in favor of the retailer.

3. A vapor recovery system reinspection fails the required tests.

4. A maximum civil penalty has been imposed on a retailer for a price posting or price verification violation and in a reinspection, if conducted within ninety days, the failure rate is ten percent or more and at least one error is in favor of the retailer.

5. A maximum civil penalty has been imposed on a refiner, refinery, pipeline, terminal, fuel transporter, registered supplier or transmix processing facility for a violation of motor fuel quality standards or producing a product transfer document that is incorrect, incomplete or produced in any manner tending to mislead or deceive a person.

D. E. The attorney general shall bring actions to recover civil penalties pursuant to this section in the superior court in the county in which the violation occurred or in a county where the agency has its office. All monies derived from civil penalties shall be deposited, pursuant to sections 35-146 and 35-147, in the state general fund.END_STATUTE

Sec. 3. Appropriation; Arizona department of agriculture; exemption

A. The sum of $250,000 and four FTE positions are appropriated from the state general fund in fiscal year 2023-2024 to the Arizona department of agriculture for the purposes of this act.

B. The appropriation made in subsection A of this section is exempt from the provisions of section 35-190, Arizona Revised Statutes, relating to lapsing of appropriations.