HB 1339

1
A bill to be entitled
2An act relating to honeybees; amending s. 586.10, F.S.;
3revising the powers and duties of the Department of
4Agriculture and Consumer Services for purposes of the
5Florida Honey Certification and Honeybee Law; specifying
6that the department has exclusive authority over
7regulations, inquiries, and complaints relating to
8beekeeping, apiaries, and apiary locations; providing an
9effective date.
10
11Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
12
13     Section 1.  Section 586.10, Florida Statutes, is amended to
14read:
15     586.10  Powers and duties of department.-
16     (1)  The department has shall have the powers and duties
17to:
18     (a)(1)  Administer and enforce the provisions of this
19chapter.
20     (b)(2)  Adopt Promulgate rules necessary to the enforcement
21of this chapter.
22     (c)(3)  Adopt Promulgate rules relating to standard grades
23for honey and other honeybee products.
24     (d)(4)  Enter upon any public or private premise or carrier
25during regular business hours for the purpose of inspection,
26quarantine, destruction, or treatment of honeybees, used
27beekeeping equipment, unwanted races of honeybees, or regulated
28articles.
29     (e)(5)  Declare a honeybee pest or unwanted race of
30honeybees to be a nuisance to the beekeeping industry as well as
31any honeybee or other article infested or infected therewith or
32that has been exposed to infestation or infection in a manner
33believed likely to communicate the infection or infestation.
34     (f)(6)  Declare a quarantine against any area, place, or
35political unit within this state or other states, territories,
36or foreign countries, or portion thereof, in reference to
37honeybee pests or unwanted races of honeybees and prohibit the
38movement within this state from other states, territories, or
39foreign countries of all honeybees, honeybee products, used
40beekeeping equipment, or other articles from such quarantined
41places or areas which are likely to carry honeybee pests or
42unwanted races of honeybees if the quarantine is determined,
43after due investigation, to be necessary in order to protect
44this state's beekeeping industry, honeybees, and the public. In
45such cases, the quarantine may be made absolute or rules may be
46adopted prescribing the method and manner under which the
47prohibited articles may be moved into or within, sold in, or
48otherwise disposed of in this state.
49     (g)(7)  Enter into cooperative arrangements with any
50person, municipality, county, or other department of this state
51or any agency, officer, or authority of other states or the
52United States Government, including the United States Department
53of Agriculture, for inspection of honeybees, honeybee pests, or
54unwanted races of honeybees and products thereof and the control
55or eradication of honeybee pests and unwanted races of
56honeybees, and contribute a share of the expenses incurred under
57such arrangements.
58     (h)(8)  Carry on investigations of methods of control,
59eradication, and prevention of dissemination of honeybee pests
60or unwanted races of honeybees.
61     (i)(9)  Inspect or cause to be inspected all apiaries in
62the state at such intervals as it may deem best and to keep a
63complete, accurate, and current list of all inspected apiaries
64to include the:
65     1.(a)  Name of the apiary.
66     2.(b)  Name of the owner of the apiary.
67     3.(c)  Mailing address of the apiary owner.
68     4.(d)  Location of the apiary.
69     5.(e)  Number of hives in the apiary.
70     6.(f)  Pest problems associated with the apiary.
71     7.(g)  Brands used by beekeepers where applicable.
72     (j)(10)  Collect or accept from other agencies or
73individuals specimens of arthropods, nematodes, fungi, bacteria,
74or other organisms for identification.
75     (k)(11)  Confiscate, destroy, or make use of abandoned
76beehives or beekeeping equipment.
77     (l)(12)  Require the identification of ownership of
78apiaries.
79     (m)(13)  Enter into a compliance agreement with any person
80engaged in purchasing, assembling, exchanging, processing,
81utilizing, treating, or moving beekeeping equipment or
82honeybees.
83     (n)(14)  Make and issue to beekeepers certificates of
84registration and inspection, following proper inspection and
85certification of their honeybee colonies.
86     (2)(15)  If the department determines that a beekeeper or
87honeybee product processor is selling or offering for sale or is
88distributing or offering to distribute honeybees, honeybee
89products, or beekeeping equipment in violation of this chapter
90or rules adopted under this chapter, or has aided or abetted in
91the violation, the department may revoke or suspend her or his
92certificate of inspection or the use of any certificate or
93permit issued by the department.
94     (3)(16)  The department may refuse the certification of any
95honeybees, honeybee products, or beekeeping equipment when it is
96determined that an unwanted race of honeybees exists, or
97honeybee pests exist on honeybees, honeybee products, or
98beekeeping equipment, or that the condition of the apiary
99inhibits a thorough and efficient inspection by the department.
100     (4)(17)  The department is authorized to conduct,
101supervise, or cause the fumigation, destruction, or treatment of
102honeybees, including unwanted races of honeybees, honeybee
103products, and used beekeeping equipment or other articles
104infested or infected by honeybee pests or unwanted races of
105honeybees or so exposed to infection or infestation that it is
106reasonably believed that infection or infestation could exist.
107     (5)(18)  The department may require the removal from this
108state of any honeybees or beekeeping equipment which has been
109brought into the state in violation of this chapter or the rules
110adopted under this chapter.
111     (6)  The department has the exclusive authority to regulate
112beekeeping, apiaries, and apiary locations and to dispense with
113any inquiry or complaint relating to beekeeping, apiaries, or
114apiary locations.
115     Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2010.


CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.