TITLE 25

ANIMALS

CHAPTER 2

INSPECTION AND SUPPRESSION OF DISEASES AMONG LIVESTOCK

25-212.  Reportable diseases which constitute an emergency — Rules — Duty of veterinarians and owners of livestock and other animals — Indemnity. The director is authorized to declare any disease, parasite or agent which: (1) has been identified by the United States department of agriculture/animal and plant health inspection service/veterinary services (USDA/APHIS/VS) as a "communicable foreign disease not known to exist in the United States"; or (2) which is not naturally occurring in or has been eradicated from Idaho and which, if introduced into Idaho, would have a devastating impact on the livestock or other animals of the state, a disease which constitutes an emergency. The presence of such disease in any state in the United States, any country contiguous to the United States, or any country from which the state of Idaho receives animals or animal products may constitute an emergency. The director is also authorized to promulgate rules which list and regulate diseases, parasites and other agents which, if introduced into the state, would result in devastation of the livestock or other animals within the state and which diseases therefore constitute an emergency. It is hereby made the duty of all persons practicing veterinary medicine in this state to report to the division immediately, by telephone or facsimile, any and all cases of exposure to or infection of foot and mouth disease, bovine spongiform encephalopathy, chronic wasting disease, other transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, brucellosis, tuberculosis, or any foreign, exotic or emerging disease, or such other disease or diseases as may be declared to constitute an emergency by state or national authorities that they may find existing among animals of the state. Every owner of livestock or other animals and every breeder or dealer in livestock or other animals and everyone bringing livestock or other animals into this state upon observing the appearance of, or symptoms of any disease or diseases, or who has knowledge of exposure of the livestock or other animals to diseases as herein set forth among the livestock or other animals owned by him or under his care, shall give immediate notice by telephone or facsimile to the division of the facts discovered by him as aforesaid, and any owner of livestock or other animals who shall fail to make report as herein provided shall forfeit all claims for indemnity for animals condemned and slaughtered or destroyed on account of any disease or diseases as herein provided for in accordance with the provisions made and promulgated by the division. In the event the director determines that animals in the state have been exposed to or are infected with a disease which constitutes an emergency or in the event of an outbreak of any disease or diseases as herein provided among any of the animals of this state the state board of examiners is authorized and empowered, upon the recommendation of the division, to reimburse the owner by cash payment or to issue or cause to be issued certificates of indebtedness having interest at such rate as shall be set by the said state board of examiners, for the purpose of reimbursing the owner of any affected or exposed animal, any animal ordered slaughtered or destroyed, or animals which have been condemned, appraised and slaughtered or destroyed by direction of the division, and for property destroyed and for labor employed in digging trenches, or disposing of animals by any other means and for cleaning and disinfecting premises where such infected or exposed animal or animals have been kept; provided, that the state shall only pay the difference between appraised price less federal indemnity and salvage value for any animals condemned and slaughtered or destroyed under this section and the actual costs for burial or disposal of animal carcasses and for cleaning and disinfection of premises where infected or exposed animals have been kept. In the event federal indemnity is unavailable, the state shall only pay the difference between appraised price and salvage value. Appraisals shall be performed by a team comprised of an animal health representative, the owner and a person with experience in marketing the species of the animal condemned. The director may grant a hearing to any person, under such rules as the department may prescribe which are in compliance with chapter 52, title 67, Idaho Code, when the appraisal price is in dispute. An appeal may be taken from the decision of the director under the provisions of chapter 52, title 67, Idaho Code.

History:

[(25-212) 1919, ch. 35, sec. 11, p. 124; C.S., sec. 1851; I.C.A., sec. 24-212; am. 1947, ch. 163, sec. 1, p. 419; am. 1953, ch. 4, sec. 1, p. 6; am. 1974, ch. 18, sec. 111, p. 364; am. 1993, ch. 16, sec. 8, p. 61; am. 1997, ch. 21, sec. 1, p. 30; am. 2002, ch. 87, sec. 2, p. 208.]