22-2020. PENALTIES FOR VIOLATIONS. (1) Any person who violates any provision of this chapter, or of the rules promulgated hereunder for carrying out the provisions of this chapter, or who fails or refuses to comply with any requirements herein specified, or who interferes with the department, its agents or employees, in the execution, or on account of the execution of its or their duties under this chapter or rules promulgated hereunder, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not more than three thousand dollars ($3,000) or be imprisoned in a county jail for not more than twelve (12) months or be subject to both such fine and imprisonment.

(2) Any person who violates or fails to comply with any of the provisions of this chapter or any rules promulgated hereunder may be assessed a civil penalty by the department or its duly authorized agent of not more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000) for each offense and shall be liable for reasonable attorney’s fees.

(a) Assessment of a civil penalty may be made in conjunction with any other department administrative action.

(b) No civil penalty may be assessed unless the person charged was given notice and opportunity for a hearing pursuant to the Idaho administrative procedure act.

(c) If the department is unable to collect such penalty or if any person fails to pay all or a set portion of the civil penalty as determined by the department, it may recover such amount by action in the appropriate district court.

(d) Any person against whom the department has assessed a civil penalty under the provisions of this section may, within thirty (30) days of the final action by the agency making the assessment, appeal the assessment to the district court of the county in which the violation is alleged by the department to have occurred.

(e) All civil penalties collected pursuant to this section shall be remitted to the agricultural department inspection fund.

(3) Nothing in this chapter shall be construed as requiring the director to report minor violations for prosecution when he believes that the public interest will be best served by suitable warnings or other administrative action.

History:

[22-2020, added 2002, ch. 89, sec. 2, p. 223.]