2015 -- H 5943

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LC001731

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2015

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO ANIMALS AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY - TUBERCULOSIS CONTROL

     

     Introduced By: Representatives Azzinaro, Carnevale, Craven, Kennedy, and Serpa

     Date Introduced: March 19, 2015

     Referred To: House Environment and Natural Resources

     (Environmental Management)

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Sections 4-5-7, 4-5-8, 4-5-10, 4-5-11, 4-5-12 and 4-5-13 of the General

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Laws in Chapter 4-5 entitled "Tuberculosis Control" are hereby repealed.

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     4-5-7. Application for permission to import. -- All persons, firms, corporations, or

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associations intending to ship, transport, import, or to drive any bovine animals into the state,

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shall make written application to the director of environmental management for permission to

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ship, transport, import, or drive bovine animals into this state, and in that application shall state

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the breed, sex, age, and general marking on each animal and with the application shall forward to

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the director:

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      (1) A chart signed by a veterinarian approved by the United States department of

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agriculture showing that the animals described are from officially tuberculosis free accredited

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herds or are from herds officially under state and federal supervision for the eradication of bovine

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tuberculosis. All herds from which those animals originate shall have passed a negative

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intradermic tuberculin test at least three (3) months prior to date of shipment; except that in the

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case of all animals originating in accredited herds, those herds shall have passed a negative

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intradermic tuberculin test within one year from date of shipment; and

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      (2) A certificate of a veterinarian approved as provided in subsection (1), that upon a

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negative intradermic tuberculin test and a physical examination, those animals have been found to

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be free from tuberculosis or other contagious or communicable disease, and are from a herd

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officially under state and federal supervision for the eradication of bovine tuberculosis, which at

 

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its last tuberculin test revealed no reactors.

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     4-5-8. Issuance of permit to import. -- Upon the receipt of an application pursuant to §

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4-5-7, chart and certificate, the director of environmental management shall issue a permit to the

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owner or importer of those animals to ship, import, transport, or drive the animals described in

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the application into this state. All animals which are being shipped, transported, imported, or

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driven into the state shall at all times be accompanied with this permit.

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     4-5-10. Penalty for importation without permit. -- Any person, firm, corporation, or

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association shipping, transporting, importing, or driving any bovine animals into this state

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without first obtaining an import permit or who fails to have any bovine animal which is being

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shipped, transported, imported, or driven into the state accompanied at all times with that permit

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shall be fined not more than five hundred dollars ($500), or be imprisoned for not more than one

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year, or both.

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     4-5-11. Prosecution of violations. -- Complaints for the violation of the provisions of §§

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4-5-7 -- 4-5-10 shall be made by the director of the department of environmental management,

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and the director is exempt from giving surety for costs on any complaint made.

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     4-5-12. Notice of arrival of imported animals. -- The person, firm, corporation, or

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association importing any animal in pursuance of the permit shall immediately on the arrival of

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that animal in the state send written notice of that arrival to the director of environmental

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management, and any person, firm, corporation, or association who fails to notify the director is

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guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction shall be fined not more than five hundred dollars

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($500) or be imprisoned for not more than one year, or both.

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     4-5-13. Examination and certification of imported cattle. -- Upon the receipt of the

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notification pursuant to § 4-5-12, the director of environmental management, or the director's

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duly authorized representative, shall proceed within seventy-two (72) hours to the place

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designated, and make a physical examination of the cattle; and if upon that examination the cattle

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are deemed free from tuberculosis, it shall be certified by the director upon a permit, and a

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duplicate permit shall be given to the owner of the cattle, and the cattle released for the use and

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benefit of the owner.

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     SECTION 2. Section 4-5-14 of the General Laws in Chapter 4-5 entitled "Tuberculosis

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Control" is hereby amended to read as follows:

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     4-5-14. Quarantine of imported cattle -- Intradermic test. -- If after the examination

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pursuant to § 4-5-13 importation of cattle by any person, firm, corporation, or association, the

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director of environmental management is of the opinion that any of the cattle examined are

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afflicted imported are at risk to be infected with tuberculosis, or if he or she has reason to

 

LC001731 - Page 2 of 4

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question the accuracy or reliability of the test charts under which the cattle were imported into

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this state, or if for any other reason he or she believes any of the cattle examined so imported may

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be affected with tuberculosis, the director, if in his or her judgment that action appears advisable,

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shall place the cattle in quarantine at their destination or at some other suitable place to be

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designated by the director, and the cattle shall be held in quarantine for a period of not more than

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ninety (90) days or until released by order of the director within that period. While those cattle are

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held in quarantine, the director shall cause them to be tested for tuberculosis with tuberculin by

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the intradermic test.

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     SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage and shall apply to incidents

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occurring on or after the effective date.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO ANIMALS AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY - TUBERCULOSIS CONTROL

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     This act would repeal several provisions of the general laws pertaining to tuberculosis in

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animals, and empowers the director of environmental management the right to quarantine cattle if

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the cattle are at risk of being infected.

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     This act would take effect upon passage and would apply to incidents on or after the

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effective date.

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LC001731

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