AN
ACT Relating to microchipping of equine; amending RCW 16.57.010; adding new
sections to chapter 16.57 RCW; and prescribing penalties.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE
LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
Sec.
1. RCW
16.57.010 and 1993 c 105 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:
For
the purpose of this chapter:
(1)
"Department" means the department of agriculture of the state of
Washington.
(2)
"Director" means the director of the department or a duly appointed
representative.
(3)
"Person" means a natural person, individual, firm, partnership,
corporation, company, society, and association, and every officer, agent or
employee thereof. This term shall import either the singular or the plural as
the case may be.
(4)
"Livestock" includes, but is not limited to, horses, mules, cattle,
sheep, swine, goats, poultry and rabbits.
(5)
"Brand" means a permanent fire brand or any artificial mark, other
than an individual identification symbol, approved by the director to be used
in conjunction with a brand or by itself.
(6)
"Production record brand" means a number brand which shall be used
for production identification purposes only.
(7)
"Brand inspection" means the examination of livestock or livestock
hides for brands or any means of identifying livestock or livestock hides
and/or the application of any artificial identification such as back tags or
ear clips necessary to preserve the identity of the livestock or livestock hides
examined.
(8)
"Individual identification symbol" means a permanent mark placed on a
horse for the purpose of individually identifying and registering the horse and
which has been approved for use as such by the director.
(9)
"Registering agency" means any person issuing an individual
identification symbol for the purpose of individually identifying and
registering a horse.
(10)
"Poultry" means chickens, turkeys, ratites, and other domesticated
fowl.
(11)
"Ratite" means, but is not limited to, ostrich, emu, rhea, or other
flightless bird used for human consumption, whether live or slaughtered.
(12)
"Ratite farming" means breeding, raising, and rearing of an ostrich,
emu, or rhea in captivity or an enclosure.
(13)
"Microchipping" means the implantation of an identification microchip
or similar electronic identification device to establish the identity of an
individual animal:
(a)
In the pipping muscle of a chick ratite or the implantation of a microchip
in the tail muscle of an otherwise unidentified adult ratite;
(b)
In the nuchal ligament of a horse unless otherwise specified by rule of the
director; and
(c)
In locations of other livestock species as specified by rule of the director
when requested by an association of producers of that species of livestock.
NEW
SECTION. Sec. 2. A
new section is added to chapter 16.57 RCW to read as follows:
A
person who removes or causes to be removed a microchip implanted in a horse, or
who removes or causes to be removed a microchip from one horse and implants or
causes it to be implanted in another horse, with the intent to defraud a
subsequent purchaser, is guilty of a gross misdemeanor.
NEW
SECTION. Sec. 3. A
new section is added to chapter 16.57 RCW to read as follows:
The department has the authority to conduct an investigation of an
incident where scars or other marks indicate that a microchip has been removed
from a horse.
