A. The State Veterinarian shall take such measures as may be necessary to prevent the spread of and eradicate contagious and infectious livestock and poultry diseases. The Board may adopt regulations as may be necessary to effectuate the purposes of this article. The Board and the Commissioner are also authorized to make the regulations adopted under this article conform, insofar as practicable, to those regulations adopted under federal statutes governing animal health.

Terms Used In Virginia Code 3.2-6002

  • Animal: means any organism of the kingdom Animalia, other than a human being. See Virginia Code 3.2-5900
  • Board: means the Board of Agriculture and Consumer Services. See Virginia Code 3.2-100
  • Commissioner: means the Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services. See Virginia Code 3.2-100
  • Department: means the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. See Virginia Code 3.2-100
  • Livestock: includes all domestic or domesticated bovine animals; equine animals; ovine animals; porcine animals; cervidae animals; capradae animals; animals of the genus Lama or Vicugna; ratites; fish or shellfish in aquaculture facilities, as defined in § 3. See Virginia Code 3.2-5900
  • Poultry: includes all domestic fowl and game birds raised in captivity. See Virginia Code 3.2-5900
  • Process: includes subpoenas, the summons and complaint in a civil action, and process in statutory actions. See Virginia Code 1-237
  • State Veterinarian: means the veterinarian employed by the Commissioner as provided in § 3. See Virginia Code 3.2-5900
  • Statute: A law passed by a legislature.

B. The Commissioner may adopt by reference any federal regulation adopted pursuant to any federal statute relating to animal health, amending it as necessary for intrastate applicability. Any regulation adopted by the Commissioner pursuant to this subsection shall be effective upon filing with the Registrar of Regulations, who shall publish the regulation as a final regulation in the Virginia Register of Regulations, or upon a date specified by the Department that is after the filing.

The regulation shall contain a preamble stating that the Board will receive, consider and respond to a petition by any interested person at any time with respect to reconsideration or revision of such regulation. Neither the requirements of the Administrative Process Act (§ 2.2-4000 et seq.) nor public participation guidelines adopted pursuant thereto shall apply to the adoption of any regulation by the Commissioner pursuant to this subsection.

C. The Board, after giving notice in the Virginia Register of Regulations, may reconsider and revise the regulation adopted by the Commissioner. If, upon reconsideration, the Board determines that the regulation should be revised other than as authorized by subsection B, the Board may amend the regulation only as authorized by the Administrative Process Act.

D. The Commissioner and the Board may use the powers granted by this article to abate the presence of biological residues in or on livestock or poultry. Biological residues shall mean those substances remaining in or on any animal prior to or at the time of slaughter as the result of treatment or exposure that are determined by the Commissioner and the Board to be or to have the potential for being injurious to the health of humans or animals.

Code 1950, § 3-568; 1966, c. 702, § 3.1-726; 1977, c. 299; 1981, c. 130; 1991, c. 294; 2008, c. 860.

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