Senate Bill No. 341

(By Senators D. Hall, Trump, Blair, Beach, Karnes, Sypolt, Williams and Woelfel)

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[Originating in the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development;

reported January 27, 2015.]

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A BILL to amend and reenact §19-1C-4 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to the Livestock Care Standards Board; and permitting the commissioner to approve and submit rules established by the board.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

            That §19-1C-4 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended and reenacted to read as follows:

ARTICLE 1C. CARE OF LIVESTOCK.

§19-1C-4. Powers and duties of the board.

            (a) The board has the following powers and duties to:

            (1) Establish standards governing the care and well being of livestock;

            (2) Maintain food safety;

            (3) Encourage locally grown and raised food; and

            (4) Protect West Virginia farms and families.

            (b) The board is also authorized to establish standards by legislative rule to be approved and submitted by the commissioner pursuant to the provisions of article three, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code, governing the care and well being of livestock in this state, including:

            (1) The agricultural best management practices for the care and well being of livestock and poultry in this state;

            (2) Procedures for addressing complaints regarding the inhumane treatment of livestock and coordinating efforts with county humane officers;

            (3) Biosecurity, disease prevention, animal morbidity and mortality data;

            (4) Food safety practices; and

            (5) The protection of local, affordable food supplies for consumers.

            (c) The Department of Agriculture shall administer and enforce the standards established by the board that are approved by the Legislature.