Section 35. No colony of bees nor any used bee equipment shall be shipped or transported into or delivered in this commonwealth from any other state or country without a certificate, stating that the inspector of apiaries or other officer charged with similar duties in that state or country has inspected said colony or equipment within sixty days and that it is free from infectious or contagious disease. The department may by regulation establish a fee to be paid by any person or entity bringing hives, colonies or packages of bees into the commonwealth under this section, subject to approval by the secretary of administration and finance. Said fees shall not be assessed on the importation of five or fewer hives, colonies or packages so imported at one time, and shall be not less than five dollars for importation of from six to twenty hives, colonies or packages at one time, and shall be not less than twenty-five cents for each hive, colony or package in amounts over twenty imported at one time; provided, however, that in no event shall an individual or entity importing hives, colonies or packages of bees into the commonwealth be assessed any amount greater than two hundred and fifty dollars annually; provided, further, that no assessments shall be made for the importation of queen bees. No transportation company or common carrier shall be liable in damages for refusing to receive, transport or deliver any colony of bees or used equipment when unaccompanied by a certificate as above provided.
This section shall not prevent the transportation or delivery of queen or package bees from Canada or the United States of America when not accompanied by brood, honey or comb.