Authority of commissioner to enter into agreements

(1) The commissioner may enter into agreements with other agencies of this state or of other states or any agency of the federal government and delegate authority to representatives thereof when such agencies or representatives may assist in carrying out the provisions of this article. (2) The commissioner may enter into agreements with any agency of the federal government for the purposes of inspecting sites and plants and monitoring compliance with post-entry quarantine as required by the federal "Plant Protection Act", 7 U.S.C. sec. 7712 et seq., as amended, and the rules promulgated pursuant thereto. The actual costs to offset the cash funds expended by the commissioner pursuant to such agreement, including, but not limited to, promulgating any rules necessary for the administration and enforcement of such agreement and conducting inspections of sites and plants shall be recovered from the persons who have signed post-entry quarantine growing agreements covering the sites where the articles are grown or, if no such agreement exists, from the owners of the articles at the growing sites. (3) The commissioner may enter into cooperative agreements with any other state or federal agency for the purpose of conducting inspections and issuing phytosanitary certificates pursuant to section 35-4-111.