RD144 - Annual Report on the Testing and Inspection Activities of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Weights and Measures Program


Executive Summary:
This document is submitted pursuant to § 3.1-928(B) of the Code of Virginia (Code), which requires the Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services to report by October 1 of each year to the Chairmen of the Senate Committee on Finance and the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources, and the Chairmen of the House Appropriations Committee and House Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources, the results of testing and inspection activities carried out by staff in the weights and measures program of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. During the fiscal year ending June 30, 2005, staff:

• Inspected 71,043 of the 107,716 weights and measures devices used in commercial transactions in Virginia, or 66% of the total population.

• Posted an overall frequency of inspection per device of 18 months.

• Spent 2,100 hours investigating 633 consumer complaints and determined violations in 21% of those cases.

These results were achieved with existing staffing and funding resources in FY 2005.

This report also includes several informational charts, as well as copies of the changes to Title 3.1, Chapters 35 and 35.1 of the Code of Virginia which went into effect on July 1, 2005.