BP BHEAD INT S

AN ACT Relating to poultry farming; amending RCW 16.57.010; adding a new section to chapter 16.57 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 16.36 RCW; and creating a new section.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that ratites have been raised for commercial purposes on farms in the United States for over sixty years and have been raised elsewhere for over one hundred twenty years.

In recognition that ratite farming is an agricultural pursuit, the purpose of this act is to assure that the regulatory mechanisms regarding animal health and ownership identification are in place.

Sec. 2. RCW 16.57.010 and 1989 c 286 s 22 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 in the pipping muscle of a chick ratite or the implantation of a microchip in the tail muscle of an otherwise unidentified adult ratite.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. A new section is added to chapter 16.57 RCW to read as follows:

The department may, in consultation with representatives of the ratite industry, develop by rule a system that provides for the identification of individual ratites through the use of microchipping. The department may establish fees for the issuance or reissuance of microchipping numbers sufficient to cover the expenses of the department.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. A new section is added to chapter 16.36 RCW to read as follows:

(1) Poultry as defined in RCW 16.57.010 is subject to this chapter, including, but not limited to, quarantines, health certificate requirements, and rules adopted by the director.

(2) The department shall, in consultation with the ratite industry, the poultry industry, and other affected groups, review the adequacy of existing animal health regulations that pertain to ratites. The department shall adopt rules as deemed necessary to assure adequate protection to the ratite and poultry industries from a potential importation or spread of contagious diseases and parasites.