(1) The Agricultural Feed, Seed, and Fertilizer Advisory Council is created within the department.
(2) The council is composed of the following 15 members appointed by the commissioner:(a) One representative of the department.
(b) One representative of the dean for extension of the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences at the University of Florida.
(c) One representative each from the state’s beef cattle, poultry, aquaculture, field crops, citrus, vegetable, and dairy production industries.
(d) Two representatives each from the state’s fertilizer, seed, and commercial feed industries.
Each member shall be appointed for a term not to exceed 4 years and shall serve until his or her successor is appointed.
(3)(a) A majority of the council members constitutes a quorum for all purposes, and an act by a majority of such quorum at any meeting constitutes an official act of the council. The secretary shall keep a complete record of each meeting, which must show the names of members present and the actions taken. Such records must be kept on file with the department.
(b) Members of the council shall meet and organize by electing a chair, a vice chair, and a secretary whose terms shall be for 2 years each. Council officers may not serve consecutive terms.
(c) The council shall meet at the call of its chair, at the request of a majority of its members, at the request of the department, or at such time as an agricultural or environmental emergency arises, but not less than twice per year.
(d) The meetings, powers and duties, procedures, and recordkeeping of the council shall be pursuant to s. 570.232. (4) The council shall:(a) Receive reports of relevant enforcement activity conducted by the Division of Agricultural Environmental Services, including the number of inspections, the number of administrative actions, the number of complaints received and investigated, and the dispositions of complaints.
(b) Provide advice to the department on the conduct of relevant enforcement activities.
(c) Receive reports on disciplinary actions.
(d) Make recommendations to the commissioner for actions to be taken with respect to the regulation of agricultural feed, seed, and fertilizer.
