House File 2476

                                       HOUSE FILE       
                                       BY  COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE

                                       (SUCCESSOR TO HSB 697)


    Passed House,  Date               Passed Senate, Date             
    Vote:  Ayes        Nays           Vote:  Ayes        Nays         
                 Approved                            

                                      A BILL FOR

  1 An Act regulating transmissible viruses afflicting poultry,
  2    making an appropriation, and providing penalties.
  3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
  4 HF 2476
  5 da/es/25

PAG LIN

  1  1    Section 1.  Section 163.2, unnumbered paragraph 1, Code
  1  2 2003, is amended to read as follows:
  1  3    For the purpose of this chapter, infectious and contagious
  1  4 diseases shall be deemed to embrace include glanders, farcy,
  1  5 maladie du coit (dourine), anthrax, foot and mouth disease,
  1  6 scabies, hog cholera, swine dysentery, tuberculosis,
  1  7 brucellosis, vesicular exanthema, scrapie, rinderpest, ovine
  1  8 foot rot, avian influenza or Newcastle disease as provided in
  1  9 chapter 165B, or any other communicable disease so designated
  1 10 by the department.
  1 11    Sec. 2.  NEW SECTION.  165B.1  DEFINITIONS.
  1 12    1.  "Concentration point" means a location or facility
  1 13 where poultry originating from the same or different sources
  1 14 are assembled for any purpose.  However, a concentration point
  1 15 does not include an animal feeding operation as defined in
  1 16 section 459.102 if the poultry are provided care and feeding
  1 17 for purposes of egg production or slaughter.
  1 18    2.  "Department" means the department of agriculture and
  1 19 land stewardship.
  1 20    3.  "Law enforcement officer" means an Iowa state patrol
  1 21 officer or a regularly employed member of a police force of a
  1 22 city or county, including but not limited to a sheriff's
  1 23 office, who is responsible for the prevention and detection of
  1 24 a crime and the enforcement of the criminal laws of this
  1 25 state.
  1 26    4.  "Manure" means the same as defined in section 459.102.
  1 27    5.  "Pathogenic virus" means any of the following:
  1 28    a.  A recognized serotype of the virus avian paramyxovirus
  1 29 which is classified as a velogenic or mesogenic strain of that
  1 30 virus and which may be transmitted to poultry.
  1 31    b.  A recognized serotype of the virus commonly referred to
  1 32 as avian influenza which may be transmitted to poultry.
  1 33    6.  "Poultry" means domesticated fowl which are chickens,
  1 34 ducks, or turkeys.
  1 35    7.  "Separate and apart" means to hold poultry so that
  2  1 neither the poultry nor organic material originating from the
  2  2 poultry has physical contact with other animals.
  2  3    8.  "Slaughtering establishment" means a slaughtering
  2  4 establishment operated under the provisions of the federal
  2  5 Meat Inspection Act, 21 U.S.C. } 601 et seq., or a
  2  6 slaughtering establishment that has been inspected by the
  2  7 state.
  2  8    Sec. 3.  NEW SECTION.  165B.2  ADMINISTRATION AND
  2  9 ENFORCEMENT.
  2 10    1.  a.  The provisions of this chapter, including
  2 11 departmental rules adopted pursuant to this chapter, shall be
  2 12 administered and enforced by the department.  The department
  2 13 shall establish, by rule, civil penalties which may be
  2 14 administratively or judicially assessed.  The department may
  2 15 impose, assess, and collect the civil penalties.  The attorney
  2 16 general or county attorney may bring a judicial action or
  2 17 prosecution necessary to enforce the provisions of this
  2 18 chapter.
  2 19    b.  The department shall retain moneys from civil penalties
  2 20 that it collects under this chapter.  The moneys are
  2 21 appropriated to the department for the administration and
  2 22 enforcement of this chapter.  Notwithstanding section 8.33,
  2 23 such moneys shall not revert, but shall be retained by the
  2 24 department for the purposes described in this paragraph.  The
  2 25 department shall submit a report to the chairpersons of the
  2 26 joint appropriations subcommittee on agriculture and natural
  2 27 resources by January 5 of each year.  The report shall state,
  2 28 at a minimum, the total amount of moneys collected during the
  2 29 past calendar year and describe how these moneys were
  2 30 expended.
  2 31    2.  The provisions of this chapter do not limit the
  2 32 authority of the department, another state agency, or a
  2 33 political subdivision to regulate or bring an enforcement
  2 34 action against a person based on another provision of law,
  2 35 including but not limited to provisions in chapter 163, 717B,
  3  1 or 717D.
  3  2    Sec. 4.  NEW SECTION.  165B.3  DETERMINATION OF INFECTION.
  3  3    The department may adopt rules if necessary to provide
  3  4 methods and procedures to determine whether poultry are
  3  5 infected with a pathogenic virus, which may include detection
  3  6 and analysis of the disease using techniques approved by the
  3  7 United States department of agriculture.
  3  8    Sec. 5.  NEW SECTION.  165B.4  INFECTED AND EXPOSED POULTRY
  3  9 == CIVIL PENALTY == INJUNCTIVE RELIEF.
  3 10    1.  A person who is the owner or custodian of poultry
  3 11 infected with or exposed to a pathogenic virus shall keep the
  3 12 poultry separate and apart, and shall dispose of infected or
  3 13 exposed poultry in accordance with requirements of the
  3 14 department.  The person shall ensure the premises where such
  3 15 poultry are kept are sanitized as required by the department.
  3 16 The person shall dispose of the poultry carcasses, eggs, or
  3 17 manure as provided by the department.
  3 18    2.  A person who violates this section is subject to a
  3 19 civil penalty of at least one hundred dollars but not more
  3 20 than one thousand dollars, as determined by the department.
  3 21 In the case of a continuing violation, each day of the
  3 22 continuing violation is a separate violation.  However, a
  3 23 person shall not be subject to a civil penalty totaling more
  3 24 than twenty=five thousand dollars.
  3 25    3.  The department may seek injunctive relief as provided
  3 26 in section 163.62.
  3 27    Sec. 6.  NEW SECTION.  165B.5  RESTRICTED CONCENTRATION
  3 28 POINTS == CIVIL PENALTIES.
  3 29    1.  A person shall not operate a restricted concentration
  3 30 point.  A restricted concentration point includes, but is not
  3 31 limited to, all of the following:
  3 32    a.  A concentration point where poultry are sold, bartered,
  3 33 or offered for sale or barter, if the concentration point is
  3 34 part of a market where poultry are sold, bartered, or offered
  3 35 for sale or barter to the general public.
  4  1    b.  A concentration point where poultry are placed together
  4  2 as part of a contest, including but not limited to an event
  4  3 conducted for purposes of producing violent contact between
  4  4 the poultry.
  4  5    2.  Subsection 1 does not apply to any of the following:
  4  6    a.  A slaughtering establishment, public stockyard,
  4  7 livestock auction market, state or federal market, livestock
  4  8 buying station, or a livestock dealer's yard, truck, or
  4  9 facility.
  4 10    b.  A fair conducted pursuant to chapter 173 or 174.
  4 11    c.  An event sanctioned by the department.
  4 12    d.  A 4=H function.
  4 13    e.  An event sponsored or sanctioned by the Iowa turkey
  4 14 marketing council, the Iowa turkey federation, the national
  4 15 turkey federation, the Iowa poultry association, the Iowa egg
  4 16 council, the American egg board, or the American poultry
  4 17 association.
  4 18    3.  a.  A person who owns or operates a restricted
  4 19 concentration point is subject to a civil penalty of not less
  4 20 than five thousand dollars for the first violation and not
  4 21 less than twenty=five thousand dollars for each subsequent
  4 22 violation.  Each day that a violation continues constitutes a
  4 23 separate violation.
  4 24    b.  A person who has a legal interest in infected poultry
  4 25 or has custody of infected poultry which are located at a
  4 26 restricted concentration point is subject to a civil penalty
  4 27 of not less than five thousand dollars for the first violation
  4 28 and not less than twenty=five thousand dollars for each
  4 29 subsequent violation.  Each day that a violation continues
  4 30 constitutes a separate violation.
  4 31    c.  A person who transports poultry to or from a restricted
  4 32 concentration point is subject to a civil penalty of not less
  4 33 than one thousand dollars for the first violation and not less
  4 34 than five thousand dollars for each subsequent violation.
  4 35 Each day that a violation continues constitutes a separate
  5  1 violation.
  5  2    d.  A person who purchases, offers to purchase, barters, or
  5  3 offers to barter for poultry at a restricted concentration
  5  4 point is subject to a civil penalty of not less than one
  5  5 hundred dollars for the first violation and not less than one
  5  6 thousand dollars for each subsequent violation.  Each day that
  5  7 a violation continues constitutes a separate violation.
  5  8    e.  A person who charges admission for entry into a
  5  9 restricted concentration point where a contest occurs or
  5 10 otherwise holds, advertises, or conducts the contest is
  5 11 subject to a civil penalty of not less than one thousand
  5 12 dollars for the first violation and not less than five
  5 13 thousand dollars for each subsequent violation.  Each day that
  5 14 a violation continues constitutes a separate violation.
  5 15    f.  A person who attends or participates in a contest at a
  5 16 restricted concentration point where a contest occurs is
  5 17 subject to a civil penalty of not less than one hundred
  5 18 dollars for the first violation and not less than one thousand
  5 19 dollars for each subsequent violation.  Each day that a
  5 20 violation continues constitutes a separate violation.
  5 21    4.  This subsection applies to poultry maintained at a
  5 22 restricted concentration point, or poultry transported to or
  5 23 from a restricted concentration point.
  5 24    a.  The department or a law enforcement officer may
  5 25 confiscate poultry before a contested case proceeding or
  5 26 judicial hearing is conducted to determine whether this
  5 27 section has been violated.  If the department or a court
  5 28 determines that a violation of this section has occurred, the
  5 29 poultry are conclusively deemed to be infected with a
  5 30 pathogenic virus.  The poultry shall be kept separate and
  5 31 apart until destroyed by euthanasia as defined in section
  5 32 162.2.
  5 33    b.  The department shall provide that real or personal
  5 34 property that is exposed to the poultry shall be sanitized as
  5 35 required to eliminate the source of the pathogenic virus.  As
  6  1 part of the sanitation, the department shall provide for the
  6  2 disposal of poultry carcasses, eggs, or manure.  Upon
  6  3 inspection, the department shall certify that the sanitization
  6  4 has been performed as required by this paragraph.
  6  5    c.  The department may utilize the procedures provided in
  6  6 section 17A.18A in order to enforce the provisions of this
  6  7 section.  The attorney general or county attorney may petition
  6  8 the district court for an expedited hearing.
  6  9    d.  The department shall be reimbursed by the owner of the
  6 10 poultry or property for costs required to carry out this
  6 11 subsection.  However, if the enforcement action is brought due
  6 12 to the activity of a law enforcement officer of a political
  6 13 subdivision, the political subdivision shall be reimbursed by
  6 14 the owner of the poultry or property for those costs.  The
  6 15 department or political subdivision shall certify the amount
  6 16 to the county auditor of any county in which the owner is a
  6 17 titleholder of real property.  The amount shall be placed upon
  6 18 the tax books which shall be a lien upon the real property,
  6 19 and collected with interest and penalties after due, in the
  6 20 same manner as other unpaid property taxes.
  6 21 HF 2476
  6 22 da/es/25