(a) (1) Whenever a person violates any regulation that is adopted pursuant to this article, the department may impose an administrative penalty not to exceed one hundred dollars ($100) per individual animal for each violation.
(2) If the department issues an administrative penalty pursuant to paragraph (1), the department shall issue a Notice of Violation to the alleged offender or the offender’s agent. The notice shall be written in plain English and shall inform the offender as to how the offender may challenge the administrative penalty.
(b) (1) A willful and knowing violation of any regulation that is adopted pursuant to this article is a crime, punishable as (A) an infraction by a fine of not more than one hundred dollars ($100) per individual animal for each violation, (B) a misdemeanor, or (C) a felony.
(2) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the imposition of an administrative penalty pursuant to subdivision (a) shall not preclude prosecution of a person pursuant to paragraph (1).
(Added by renumbering Section 10783 by Stats. 1999, Ch. 447, Sec. 6. Effective January 1, 2000.)