§ 413.225 — Fees — amount — due when, inspection or calibration, failure to pay fee, effect, penalty.

Missouri § 413.225

• Jurisdiction: Missouri
• Title XXVI: TRADE AND COMMERCE
• Ch. 413: Weights and Measures

Text

1.  There is established a fee for registration, inspection and calibration services performed by the division of weights and measures.  The fees are due at the time the service is rendered and shall be paid to the director by the person receiving the service.  The director shall collect fees according to the following schedule and shall deposit them with the state treasurer into the agriculture protection fund as set forth in section 261.200 :

(1)  The director of agriculture shall ascertain the total receipts and expenses for the metrology calibrations during the preceding year and shall fix a fee schedule for the ensuing year as will yield revenue not more than the total cost of operating the metrology laboratory during the ensuing year, but not to exceed five hundred dollars per calibration;

(2)  All device test fees charged shall include, but not be limited to, the following devices:

(a)  Small scales;

(b)  Vehicle scales;

(c)  Livestock scales;

(d)  Hopper scales;

(e)  Railroad scales;

(f)  Monorail scales;

(g)  In-motion scales including but not limited to vehicle, railroad and belt conveyor scales;

(h)  Taximeters;

(i)  Milk for quantity determination;

(j)  Vehicle tank meters;

(k)  Compressed natural gas meters;

(l)  Liquefied natural gas meters;

(m)  Electrical charging stations; and

(n)  Hydrogen fuel meters;

(3)  Devices that require participation in on-site field evaluations for National Type Evaluation Program Certification and all tests of in-motion scales shall be charged a fee, plus mileage from the inspector's official domicile to and from the inspection site.  The time shall begin when the state inspector performing the inspection arrives at the site to be inspected and shall end when the final report is signed by the owner/operator and the inspector departs;

(4)  Every person shall register each location of such person's place of business where devices or instruments are used to ascertain the moisture content of grains and seeds offered for sale, processing or storage in this state with the director and shall pay a registration fee for each location so registered and a fee for each additional device or instrument at such location.  Thereafter, by January thirty-first of each year, each person who is required to register pursuant to this subdivision shall pay an annual fee for each location so registered and an additional fee for each additional machine at each location.  The fee on newly purchased devices shall be paid within thirty days after the date of purchase.  Application for registration of a place of business shall be made on forms provided by the director and shall require information concerning the make, model and serial number of the device and such other information as the director shall deem necessary.  Provided, however, this subsection shall not apply to moisture-measuring devices used exclusively for the purpose of obtaining information necessary to manufacturing processes involving plant products.  In addition to fees required by this subdivision, a fee shall be charged for each device subject to retest.

2.  On the first day of January, 1995, and each year thereafter, the director of agriculture shall ascertain the total receipts and expenses for the testing of weighing and measuring devices referred to in subdivisions (2), (3), and (4) of subsection 1 of this section and shall fix the fees for such weighing and measuring devices to derive revenue not more than the total cost of the operation.

3.  On the first day of October, 2014, and each year thereafter, the director of the department of agriculture shall submit a report to the general assembly that states the current laboratory fees for metrology calibration, the expenses for administering this section for the previous calendar year, any proposed change to the laboratory fee structure, and estimated expenses for administering this section during the ensuing year.  The proposed change to the laboratory fee structure shall not yield revenue greater than the total cost of administering this section during the ensuing year.

4.  Beginning August 28, 2013, and each year thereafter, the director of the department of agriculture shall publish the laboratory fee schedule on the departmental website.  The website shall be updated within thirty days of a change in the laboratory fee schedule set forth in this section.

5.  Retests for any device within the same calendar year will be charged at the same rate as the initial test.  Devices being retested in the same calendar year as a result of rejection and repair are exempt from the requirements of this subsection.

6.  All device inspection fees shall be paid at the time of service or within thirty days of the issuance of the original invoice.  Any fee not paid within thirty days after the date of the original invoice will be cause for the director to deem the device as incorrect and it may be condemned and taken out of service, and may be seized by the director until all fees are paid.

7.  No fee provided for by this section shall be required of any person owning or operating a moisture-measuring device or instrument who uses such device or instrument solely in agricultural or horticultural operations on such person's own land, and not in performing services, whether with or without compensation, for another person.

Legislative History

(L. 1983 H.B. 729, A.L. 1994 S.B. 729, A.L. 1997 H.B. 528, A.L. 2002 S.B. 1071, A.L. 2013 H.B. 542, A.L. 2014 H.B. 2141, A.L. 2023 H.B. 202 merged with S.B. 138)