(a) Regulations.--The department shall issue from time to time regulations for the enforcement and administration of this subchapter, which regulations, upon being promulgated pursuant to law, shall have the force and effect of law. These regulations may include:
(1) Standards of net weight, measure, count and standards of fill for any commodity in package form.
(2) Rules governing the technical and reporting procedures to be followed and the report and record forms and marks of approval and rejection to be used by inspectors of weights and measures in the discharge of their official duties.
(3) Exemptions from the sealing or marking requirements of section 4119 (relating to disposition of correct and incorrect apparatus) with respect to weights and measures of such character or size that such sealing or marking would be inappropriate, impracticable or damaging to the apparatus in question.
(4) Institution of a program containing standards whereby individuals shall be department-certified as Certified Examiners of Weights and Measures. Certification under such program may be for a given category or categories of measuring or weighing devices or for a particular type of device except for commercially used truck-mounted fuel oil meters and retail motor fuel dispensers. The department shall certify only such individuals who:
(i) successfully complete the appropriate training course or courses prescribed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology for the type of certification sought and who comply with departmental certification standards promulgated under this paragraph; and
(ii) are not the owner or lessee of the devices tested and inspected or an employee or agent of the owner or lessee of the devices tested and inspected.
Any program instituted under this paragraph shall include testing and inspection performance standards, reporting procedures, random inspection and testing by inspectors of a sample of devices inspected and tested by Certified Examiners of Weights and Measures and any other type of standards or procedures the department deems necessary to implement the program.
(b) Specifics.--These regulations shall include specifications, tolerances and regulations for weights and measures of the character of those specified in section 4112 (relating to general testing and inspections) designed to eliminate from use, without prejudice to apparatus that conforms as closely as practicable to the official standards, those:
(1) that are not accurate;
(2) that are of such construction that they are faulty, that is, that are not reasonably permanent in their adjustment or will not repeat their indications correctly; or
(3) that facilitate the perpetration of fraud.
The specifications, tolerances and regulations for commercial weighing and measuring devices, together with amendments thereto as recommended by the National Institute of Standards and Technology and published in National Institute of Standards and Technology Handbook 44, and supplements thereto, or in any publication revising or superseding Handbook 44, shall be the specifications, tolerances and regulations for commercial weighing and measuring devices of the Commonwealth except insofar as specifically modified, amended or rejected by a regulation issued by the department. For the purposes of this subchapter, apparatus shall be deemed to be correct when it conforms to all applicable requirements promulgated as specified in this section; other apparatus shall be deemed to be incorrect.
(c) Method.--Regulations shall be promulgated in the manner prescribed by law.
(d) Reports.--On or before March 1 of each year after the effective date of this subsection, the department shall submit a report to the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee of the Senate and the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives which shall describe all relevant activities of inspectors, Certified Examiners of Weights and Measures and city and county sealers of weights and measures for the preceding calendar year. The report shall contain, at a minimum, the following:
(1) An identification of the regions of this Commonwealth served by inspectors and city and county sealers of weights and measures and the number of such inspectors and city and county sealers of weights and measures in each region.
(2) The number of inspections made by each inspector, Certified Examiners of Weights and Measures and city and county sealers of weights and measures.
(3) The number and nature of enforcement actions initiated by each inspector and city and county sealers of weights and measures.
(4) The disposition of each enforcement action, including the number and nature of warnings issued by each inspector and city and county sealers of weights and measures.
(Oct. 24, 2012, P.L.1332, No.169, eff. imd.)
2012 Amendment. Act 169 amended subsecs. (a)(4) and (d).
Cross References. Section 4110 is referred to in sections 4102, 4112, 4119, 4142 of this title.
Structure Pennsylvania Consolidated & Unconsolidated Statutes
Pennsylvania Consolidated & Unconsolidated Statutes
Chapter 41 - Weights and Measures
Section 4101 - Short title of chapter
Section 4105 - Systems of weights and measures
Section 4106 - State standards of weight and measure
Section 4107 - Office and working standards and equipment
Section 4108 - Director and inspectors of weights and measures
Section 4109 - General powers and duties of department
Section 4110 - Specific powers and duties of department; regulations
Section 4111 - Testing and inspections of standards
Section 4112 - General testing and inspections
Section 4113 - Registration of sellers, installers and repairers of weighing and measuring devices
Section 4115 - Training program
Section 4117 - Inspection of packages
Section 4118 - Stop-use, stop-removal and removal orders
Section 4119 - Disposition of correct and incorrect apparatus
Section 4120 - Police powers; right of entry and stoppage
Section 4121 - Powers and duties of director and inspector
Section 4123 - City and county standards and equipment
Section 4124 - Concurrent jurisdiction
Section 4125 - Division of responsibilities
Section 4126 - Duty of owners of incorrect apparatus
Section 4127 - Method of sale of commodities
Section 4128 - Packages; declarations of quantity and origin; variations; exemptions
Section 4129 - Declarations of unit price on random packages
Section 4130 - Misleading packages
Section 4131 - Advertising packages for sale
Section 4132 - Sale by net weight
Section 4133 - Misrepresentation of price
Section 4134 - Meat, poultry and seafood
Section 4135 - Butter, oleomargarine and margarine
Section 4136 - Fluid dairy products
Section 4137 - Flour, cornmeal and hominy grits
Section 4139 - Construction of contracts
Section 4140 - Hindering or obstructing officer; penalties
Section 4141 - Impersonation of officer; penalties
Section 4142 - Prohibited acts
Section 4143 - Presumptive evidence
Section 4150 - Enforcement and regulations
Section 4152 - Weighmasters' certificates
Section 4153 - Preparation of weighmaster's certificate
Section 4154 - Use of approved weighing device required
Section 4155 - Scale requirement
Section 4156 - Disposition of copies of certificates
Section 4157 - License required; definition
Section 4158 - Suspension or revocation of licenses
Section 4159 - Prohibited acts
Section 4160 - Sales by weight
Section 4161 - Separation required
Section 4162 - Substitution of another purchaser in weighmaster's certificate
Section 4163 - Authorization to inspect and direct to nearest scales
Section 4164 - Weighmaster's certificate required
Section 4166 - Exception for boatloads or railroad carloads
Section 4167 - Rules and regulations
Section 4168 - Sales by employer-producer to employees
Section 4169 - Existing licenses
Section 4170 - Approval of types of weights and measures and weighing and measuring devices
Section 4171 - Submission of types for approval
Section 4172 - Certificates of approval; notice of disapproval; appeals
Section 4173 - Manufacture, sale or use of unapproved weights, measures and devices
Section 4174 - Marking of approved weights and measures
Section 4175 - Marking of weights and measures "not legal for trade."
Section 4176 - Rules and regulations
Section 4177 - Sealing of approved weights and measures
Section 4181 - Small deliveries
Section 4183 - Enforcement of chapter, rules and regulations
Section 4187.1 - Scope of subchapter
Section 4187.3 - Automotive Fuel Testing and Disclosure Program
Section 4187.4 - Standards for automotive fuel
Section 4187.5 - Automotive fuel rating, disclosure and labeling requirements
Section 4187.6 - Investigations
Section 4187.7 - Violations and penalties
Section 4190 - Rules and regulations
Section 4191 - Offenses and penalties
Section 4192 - Temporary or permanent injunctions