Senate Bill No. 695
(By Senators K. Facemyer, Guills, Laird, Palumbo,
Snyder, Sypolt, Unger, Williams and White)
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[Originating in the Committee on Agriculture;
reported February 23, 2010.]
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A BILL to amend and reenact §19-20A-2 of the Code of West Virginia,
1931, as amended, relating to vaccinating dogs and cats for
rabies; vaccinating dogs and cats entering the state; and
providing for the appointment of a qualified person to
vaccinate when there is no licensed veterinarian in the
county.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That §19-20A-2 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended,
be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
ARTICLE 20A. VACCINATION OF DOGS AND CATS FOR RABIES.
§19-20A-2. Vaccination of dogs and cats.
Whoever (a) A person who owns, obtains, or possesses keeps or
harbors a dog or cat within the boundaries of any county in the State of West Virginia shall, on or before the first day of June,
one thousand nine hundred eighty-seven, have such the dog or cat
properly vaccinated or immunized against rabies with a vaccine
capable of producing immunity for two three years, boostered one
year after the initial vaccination, and every third year
thereafter.
and shall every second year thereafter have such dog or
cat revaccinated with a vaccine capable of producing immunity for
two years. After the first day of June, one thousand nine hundred
eighty-seven, whoever obtains an unvaccinated dog or cat shall at
once have such dog or cat properly vaccinated against rabies with
a vaccine capable of producing immunity for two years and shall
have such vaccination repeated every second year with a vaccine
capable of producing immunity for two years
: Provided,
That dogs
Dogs and cats need not be vaccinated before the age of three
months, but must be vaccinated by the age of six months: Provided,
however,
That dogs.
(b) Dogs and cats over six months of age entering the state
must have been vaccinated for rabies as set forth in subsection (a)
of this section prior to import. entering the state of West
Virginia temporarily cannot be kept and maintained within the state
of West Virginia for a period of more than thirty days unless
properly vaccinated.
Anyone owning a
(c) A dog or cat can have them may be
vaccinated by any licensed veterinarian or person working with or under such veterinarian, or if there be his or her assistant. If
there is no resident licensed veterinarian practicing in the
county, by such other a qualified person as may be appointed by the
county commission, who shall work under the supervision of the
county health department to administer vaccinations.
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(NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to require that dogs and
cats receive a rabies vaccination every three years rather than the
current law of every two years.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from
the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would
be added.)
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JUDICIARY COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
By striking out the title and substituting therefor a new
title, to read as follows:
Eng. Senate Bill No. 695--A BILL to amend and reenact §19-20A-
2 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to
vaccinating dogs and cats for rabies; vaccinating dogs and cats
entering the state; and providing for the appointment of a
qualified person to vaccinate when there is no licensed
veterinarian in the county.