The Seed Regulatory Program provides for the regulation of the seed industry through enforcement of state seed laws through century code and federal laws specified by the Federal Seed Act (FSA). The FSA regulates the interstate shipment of agricultural and vegetable seeds and requires that seed shipped in interstate commerce be labeled with information that allows seed buyers to make informed choices. The department has authority for regulatory activities under a cooperative agreement with the USDA-AMS, Seed Regulatory & Testing Branch. Through monitoring, sampling and testing, the Regulatory Program ensures that seed meets state and federal labeling requirements, contributing to the utilization of high quality seed. The Regulatory Program also serves as the department authority in enforcing Plant Variety Protection or other intellectual property rights issues.

Services Provided

• Enforcement of state and federal seed laws
• Inspection and audit of retail seed facilities
• Sampling and testing of seed lots to verify label accuracy
• Investigation of complaints
• Cooperate with public institutions and private companies on enforcement of intellectual property rights issues
• Administration of the state seed labeling fee permit system
• Cooperate with USDA Seed Regulatory and Testing Branch in varietal purity evaluation
• Provide public education on regulatory and certification issues