Acceptance of other accreditations, licenses, or approvals

Acceptance of other accreditations, licenses, or approvals. (1) Agriculture, trade, and consumer protection agreement. The department shall accept the accreditation, licensure, or approval by the department of agriculture, trade, and consumer protection for microbiological testing performed by a laboratory submitting or generating data for a covered program. (2) Laboratories accredited, licensed, or approved by other governments. (a) The department may negotiate with and attempt to enter into agreements with federal agencies and agencies of other states to reciprocally accept accreditations of laboratories under this chapter. (b) The department may accept the accreditation, licensure, or approval of a laboratory by another state or an agency of the federal government if the standards used for the qualification of a laboratory are substantially equivalent to those established in this chapter. (c) The department may not accept the accreditation, licensure, or approval of a laboratory by another state or an agency of the federal government, unless that state or federal agency accepts laboratories accredited under this chapter. (3) Private organization agreements. (a) The department may enter into agreements with private not-for-profit organizations to accept accreditation of laboratories under this chapter. (b) The department may accept the accreditation, licensure, or approval of a laboratory by a private not-for-profit organization if the organization’s standards used for the qualification of a laboratory are substantially equivalent to those established in this chapter.