FINAL BILL REPORT

SHB 1538

PARTIAL VETO

C 204 L 11

Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description: Regarding animal health inspections.

Sponsors: House Committee on Agriculture & Natural Resources (originally sponsored by Representatives Buys, Blake, Chandler, Taylor, Orcutt, Hinkle, Haler, Johnson and Warnick).

House Committee on Agriculture & Natural Resources

Senate Committee on Agriculture & Rural Economic Development

Background:

The Director of the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) is authorized to adopt rules that prevent the introduction or spreading of infectious diseases into the state. This includes the authority to adopt rules regarding the inspection and testing of all animals in the state or being imported into the state. The WSDA may charge a time and mileage fee for livestock inspections and investigations of $85 per hour, plus mileage. The WSDA has the authority to raise this fee by rule.

It is unlawful for a person to bring livestock into Washington without first obtaining a certificate of veterinary inspection verifying that the animals meet Washington's health requirements. This requirement does not apply to animals that will be delivered to a feed lot, slaughter plant, or livestock market within 12 hours of importation.

Summary:

The WSDA is authorized to adopt rules that require the certificate of veterinarian inspection, health papers, permits, or other transportation documents to provide a physical address and a timeline as to when the animals will be transported directly to that address. Unless exempted by the WSDA, it is unlawful to transfer an animal to a location other than the address designated on the transportation documents.

The authority of the WSDA to charge a mileage and hourly fee for violation inspections is changed to allow the WSDA to collect up to $85 per hour. In addition, the WSDA may adopt, by rule, a fee of no more than 40 cents per head of cattle on all cattle slaughtered in Washington or transported out of Washington. The fee must be deposited into the newly created Animal Disease Traceability Account, which is housed within the Agricultural Local Fund, and is to be used to carry out animal disease traceability activities for cattle and to compensate data and fee collection costs. Failure to pay the fee is a class 1 civil infraction.

The fee must be paid by all cattle sellers in Washington, the owners of cattle slaughtered in the state, and, unless exempted by the WSDA in rule, the owners of cattle exported alive from Washington. If a livestock inspection occurs, the fee must be collected in the same manner as livestock inspection fees. For livestock that is not inspected, the fee must be paid by the fifteenth day of the month following transportation out of state. The fee for slaughtered cattle must be collected by the meat processor.

The Animal Disease Traceability Advisory Committee (Committee) is created to serve in an advisory capacity to the WSDA. The Committee must meet at least twice a year and work with the WSDA to develop a plan to implement the electronic transfer of livestock traceability data and to consult on other livestock traceability issues. The Director of the WSDA must appoint an initial eight members to the Committee representing various aspects of the livestock industry to three-year terms. The membership of the Committee may be expanded by a unanimous vote of the Committee members.

Votes on Final Passage:

Partial Veto Summary: The Governor vetoed the section that required the Director of the Department of Agriculture to create an Animal Disease Traceability Advisory Committee.