WSR 98-24-102

PREPROPOSAL STATEMENT OF INQUIRY

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

[Filed December 2, 1998, 8:18 a.m.]

Subject of Possible Rule Making: Revisions to chapter 16-86 WAC, Brucellosis, tuberculosis and scrapie in cattle, sheep and goats, pilot rule.

Statutes Authorizing the Agency to Adopt Rules on this Subject: RCW 16.36.040.

Reasons Why Rules on this Subject may be Needed and What They Might Accomplish: A pilot rule project to allow veterinarians to vaccinate female cattle older than twelve months of age (mature) with RB-51 Brucella vaccine. This will be of economic benefit to cattle producers and will maintain the brucellosis immunity level of the collective state herd.

Other Federal and State Agencies that Regulate this Subject and the Process Coordinating the Rule with These Agencies: The United States Department of Agriculture biologics license all biologics. Present labeling allows adult vaccination with permission of state authorities.

Process for Developing New Rule: Pilot rule making, a pilot project pertaining to the RB-51 brucellosis vaccination program was filed by the department on May 11, 1998, WSR 98-11-010. The project began June 1, 1998, and was scheduled to be completed November 30, 1998. The department is now continuing the program through April 15, 1999. This pilot project is being extended to allow the department to accumulate additional information on the effectiveness of the program. In conducting this project, staff have been working with volunteer veterinarians and livestock saleyards.

These same volunteers will remain as participants through the duration of the program and will be exempt from the present vaccination rules under chapter 16-86 WAC. All provisions of the pilot project as filed on May 11, 1998, will continue to apply.

This pilot project provides for the development of methods for measuring and testing the feasibility of complying and administering this program. The final report on this project will be completed on December 31, 1998, and distributed to interested parties. A supplemental report will be completed by February 7, 1999, and a summary on the entire pilot project will be completed within thirty days of the end of the project.

Interested parties can participate in the decision to adopt the new rule and formulation of the proposed rule before publication by contacting Dr. Robert W. Mead, State Veterinarian, Washington State Department of Agriculture, Food Safety/Animal Health Division, P.O. Box 42577, Olympia, WA 98504-2577, (360) 902-1878, fax (360) 902-2087, e-mail rmead@agr.wa.gov.

December 2, 1998

Candace Jacobs, DVM

Assistant Director