§ 14655 Fertilizing Material Hold Orders

(a) Any lot of fertilizing material for which a hold order or notice is issued shall be held by the person having control of the material and shall not be distributed or moved except under the specific directions of the secretary, pending final disposition pursuant to this chapter. This does not prevent the person who has control of the material from inspecting any seized material or from taking a reasonable sample for evidence while in the presence of a person designated by the secretary. (b) The movement, distribution, or sale of all or part of any product by the person having control of the material that has been quarantined by the secretary, unless the movement, distribution, or sale has the prior approval of the secretary, is a violation subject to a civil penalty as specified in Section 14651.5, or a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than five thousand dollars ($5,000). A second or subsequent violation of this subdivision is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than ten thousand dollars ($10,000). (Amended by Stats. 2009, Ch. 257, Sec. 19. (AB 856) Effective January 1, 2010.)