Weights and measures: inspection fees.

(1) Existing law requires the sealer of a county to inspect and test weighing and measuring devices, as specified, that are used or sold in the county. Existing law also requires the sealer of a county to weigh or measure packages to determine whether they contain the amount represented, as provided. Existing law, until January 1, 2013, permits the board of supervisors of a county to charge fees, not to exceed the county's total cost of actually inspecting or testing weighing and measuring devices required of the county sealer, to recover the costs of the county sealer to perform these duties. This bill would extend the authority of the board of supervisors of a county to charge fees to recover the costs of the county sealer, as provided, until January 1, 2016. (2) Existing law specifies that the annual registration fee for a business that uses a commercial weighing or measuring device or devices shall consist of a location fee, a Department of Food and Agriculture administrative fee, and a device fee. Existing law defines a single business location as a business location that necessitates not more than one inspection trip by a weights and measures official or as each vehicle containing one or more commercial devices. This bill would provide that the device fee for computing scales, as defined, shall not exceed $20 per device, and that the portion of the annual registration fee consisting of the business location fee and the device fees shall not exceed the sum of $1,000. The bill would provide that the device fee for jewelry or prescription scales, as defined, shall not exceed $80 per device. The bill would provide that for a weighing device with a capacity of at least 100 pounds but less than 2,000 pounds, other than computing, jewelry, or prescription scales, the device fee shall not exceed $50 per device. The bill would, for certain vehicle odometers utilized to charge mileage usage fees in vehicle rental transactions, prohibit the device fee from exceeding $60 per device. The bill would, for nonpassenger vehicles, prohibit the annual registration fee consisting of the business location fee and the device fee from exceeding $340 for each business location, as defined. The bill would exempt odometers in passenger rental vehicles from the fee unless there is a complaint regarding the vehicles's odometer. The bill would, for these purposes, define business location for vehicles employed in vehicle rental transactions. The bill would make a conforming change. (3) Existing law provides that for all other commercial weighing or measuring devices not listed, the device fee shall not exceed $20 per device, and that for purposes of these provisions, the registration fee shall not exceed the sum of $1,000 for each business location. The bill would revise this provision and provide that the portion of the annual registration fee consisting of the business location fee and the device fees shall not exceed $1,000 for each business location. (4) Existing law specifies that the device fee for marinas, mobilehome parks, recreational vehicle parks, and apartment complexes, where the owner is responsible for the utility meters, shall not exceed $2 per device. This bill would instead provide that the device fee shall not exceed $2 per device per space or apartment for water submeters, $3 per device per space or apartment for electric submeters, and $4 per device per space or apartment for vapor submeters. (5) Existing law provides that for liquefied petroleum gas meters the device fee shall not exceed $175 per device. This bill would provide that the device fee shall not exceed $185 per device for liquefied petroleum gas meters. (6) Existing law provides that the device fee for wholesale and vehicle meters shall not exceed $25 per device. This bill would provide that the device fee for wholesale and vehicle meters shall not exceed $75 per device.