2020 Connecticut General Statutes
Title 22 - Agriculture. Domestic Animals
Chapter 422 - Department of Agriculture
Section 22-7 - Administrative civil penalties.

(a) The Commissioner of Agriculture may impose civil penalties for any violation of the provisions of this title. Civil penalties established for each violation shall be of such amount as to insure immediate and continued compliance with applicable laws, regulations, orders and permits issued by the commissioner pursuant to any provision of this title. Such penalties shall be a sum determined by the commissioner which shall not exceed two thousand five hundred dollars for each violation and two hundred fifty dollars for each day during which such violation continues after receipt of a final order of the commissioner assessing the civil penalty for such violation.

(b) In addition, in setting a civil penalty in a particular case, the commissioner shall consider all factors which he deems relevant, including, but not limited to, the following:

(1) The amount of assessment necessary to insure immediate and continued compliance;

(2) The conduct of the person incurring the civil penalty in taking all feasible steps or procedures necessary or appropriate to comply or to correct the violation;

(3) Any prior violations by such person of any statute, regulation, order or permit administered, adopted or issued by the commissioner;

(4) The economic and financial conditions of such person;

(5) The character and degree of injury to, or interference with, public health, safety or welfare which is caused or threatened to be caused by such violation;

(6) The character and degree of injury to, or interference with, reasonable use of property which is caused or threatened to be caused by such violation;

(7) The character and degree of impact of the violation on the health, safety or welfare of any domestic animal; and

(8) The character and degree of impact of the violation on any agricultural resource especially any lands preserved by the state.

(c) If the commissioner has reason to believe that a violation has occurred for which a civil penalty is authorized by this section, he may send to the violator, by certified mail, return receipt requested, or personal service, a notice which shall include:

(1) A reference to the section of the statute, regulation, order or permit involved;

(2) A short and plain statement of the matters asserted or charged;

(3) A statement of the amount of the civil penalty or penalties to be imposed upon finding after hearing that a violation has occurred or upon a default; and

(4) A statement of the party's right to a hearing.

(d) The person to whom the notice is addressed shall have twenty days from the date of receipt of the notice in which to deliver to the commissioner written application for a hearing. If a hearing is requested, the commissioner may issue a final order after a hearing and, upon a finding that a violation has occurred, may assess a civil penalty under this section which shall be no greater than the penalty stated in the notice. If a hearing is not requested, or if a request for a hearing is later withdrawn, then the notice shall become a final order of the commissioner on the first day after the expiration of such twenty-day period or on the first day after the withdrawal of such request for hearing, whichever is later, and the matters asserted or charged in the notice shall be deemed admitted unless modified by a consent order, which shall become the final order. Any such penalty may be mitigated by the commissioner upon such terms and conditions as he deems proper or necessary upon consideration of the factors set forth in subsection (b) of this section.

(e) All hearings under this section shall be conducted pursuant to sections 4-176e to 4-184, inclusive. A final order of the commissioner assessing a civil penalty shall be subject to appeal as set forth in section 4-183 except that any such appeal shall be taken to the superior court for the judicial district of New Britain and shall have precedence in the order of trial as provided in section 52-191. Such final order shall not be subject to appeal under any other provision of the general statutes. No challenge to any final order of the commissioner assessing a civil penalty shall be allowed as to any issue which could have been raised by an appeal of an earlier order, notice, permit, denial or other final decision by the commissioner. Any civil penalty authorized by this section shall become due and payable (1) at the time of receipt of a final order in the case of a civil penalty assessed in such order after a hearing, (2) on the first day after the expiration of the period in which a hearing may be requested if no hearing is requested, or (3) on the first day after any withdrawal of a request for hearing.

(f) Any person acting within the terms and conditions of a final order or permit issued by the commissioner shall not be subject to a civil penalty under this section for any actions which the commissioner finds were within the terms and conditions of such final order or permit. Any person claiming to have acted within the terms and conditions of a final order or permit shall have the burdens of production and persuasion on his defense in any administrative hearing on a civil penalty held by the commissioner.

(1953, S. 1697d; P.A. 77-614, S. 313, 587, 610; P.A. 78-303, S. 85, 136; P.A. 88-230, S. 1, 12; P.A. 90-98, S. 1, 2; P.A. 92-255, S. 5, 8; P.A. 93-142, S. 4, 7, 8; 93-320, S. 5; P.A. 95-141, S. 1; 95-220, S. 4–6; P.A. 99-215, S. 24, 29; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, S. 146(e); P.A. 04-189, S. 1.)

History: P.A. 77-614 and P.A. 78-303 deleted provisions re hearings on regulations, deposit of copies with board of agriculture and board's privilege to revoke or suspend regulations which it finds do not conform with its policies, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 92-255 added new Subsecs. (b) to (j), inclusive, re administrative civil penalties for violations of various statutes administered by the commissioner of agriculture (Revisor's note: P.A. 88-230 and 90-98 authorized substitution of “judicial district of Hartford” for “judicial district of Hartford-New Britain” in general statutes and in public or special acts of 1992, effective September 1, 1993); P.A. 93-142 changed the effective date of P.A. 88-230 from September 1, 1993, to September 1, 1996, effective June 14, 1993; P.A. 93-320 amended Subsec. (b) to authorize a civil penalty for violation of Sec. 22-203aa; P.A. 95-141 replaced former provisions re imposition of administrative civil penalties by the commissioner, factors to be considered in setting such penalties, notice to violators, procedures for hearings and appeals and exception for persons acting within the terms of an order or permit with new provisions; P.A. 95-220 changed the effective date of P.A. 88-230 from September 1, 1996, to September 1, 1998, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 99-215 replaced “judicial district of Hartford” with “judicial district of New Britain” in Subsec. (e), effective June 29, 1999; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6 replaced Commissioner of Agriculture with Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Protection, effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 04-189 repealed Sec. 146 of June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, thereby reversing the merger of the Departments of Agriculture and Consumer Protection, effective June 1, 2004.