The Commissioner of Agriculture, as compact administrator or acting through the Department of Agriculture, may adopt rules and regulations pursuant to the Administrative Procedures Act as are necessary to carry out the purposes of the Southern Interstate Dairy Compact, to provide for the revocation or forfeiture of dairy industry licenses issued by any agency of the government of South Carolina held by persons violating the compact and related rules and regulations, and to otherwise enforce the provisions of this chapter. In addition, there is hereby granted to the Commissioner of Agriculture, as compact administrator and chairman of the state delegation to the Southern Interstate Dairy Compact Commission, and to the appointed members of the delegation, all powers provided for in the compact and all powers necessary or incidental to carrying out the compact in every particular. All officers of this State shall do all things falling within their respective provinces and jurisdiction necessary or incidental to assist the Commissioner of Agriculture, as compact administrator, and the state's delegation to the compact, in carrying out the compact in every particular. Upon request of the compact administrator on behalf of the state's delegation to the compact, all officers, departments, employees, and other persons of and in the executive branch of the state government shall, at convenient times, furnish available information and data relating to the purposes of the compact possessed by them to the compact administrator or the delegation. They may further aid the compact administrator or the delegation to the compact by loan of personnel, equipment, or other means, in carrying out the purposes of the compact and this chapter. In addition, the Commissioner of Agriculture, as compact administrator, may obtain any information, not privileged, which he considers necessary to carry out the purposes of the Southern Interstate Dairy Compact and the provisions of this chapter from the federal government, other state governments, and, by lawful means, from private persons having information or data relating to the dairy industry or to the purposes of the compact. Such information may be utilized by the Commissioner of Agriculture, as compact administrator, the delegates, and the Southern Dairy Compact Commission for the purposes of carrying out the provisions of the compact. Any powers granted in this chapter to the Commissioner of Agriculture, the Department of Agriculture, or any other agency or employee of the state government, shall be regarded as in aid of and supplemental to, and in no case a limitation upon, any of the powers vested in the Commissioner of Agriculture, the Department of Agriculture, or any other agency or employee of the state government, by other laws of the State of South Carolina or by the laws of Congress or of any state ratifying the Southern Interstate Dairy Compact, or by the terms of the compact itself.
HISTORY: 1998 Act No. 420, Section 1, eff June 8, 1998.