2019 Connecticut General Statutes
Title 22 - Agriculture. Domestic Animals
Chapter 433 - Diseases of Domestic Animals
Section 22-304 - Control of disease in imported cattle. Disposal of reactors.
(a) All imported female cattle shall be from (1) certified herds, (2) negative herds in a modified certified area or (3) herds under state-federal supervision for the control of brucellosis that are negative to official blood tests within ninety days of the exportation of the individual animals. Nonvaccinated female animals over six months of age and bulls over six months of age and official vaccinates over eighteen months of age at the time of importation shall be negative to such tests as established by regulation, within thirty days before importation. Within thirty days after entering the state all such cattle shall be retested on the premises to which originally consigned by such test established by regulation, by a veterinarian licensed in this state and approved by the commissioner, by a veterinarian employed by the federal government or by a veterinarian or livestock inspector employed by the Department of Agriculture. Animals vaccinated when more than the maximum eligible age as established by the commissioner for imported cattle are not eligible for entry. If the reaction of any animal to such test is positive, it shall be branded and tagged and sold for slaughter; if the animal is a purebred, it may be reshipped under permit to the state of origin under federal regulations and quarantined; if suspicious, it may be held for two more tests at intervals of sixty days; if then not negative, it shall be slaughtered or returned to the state of origin under special permit subject to state and federal regulations. All retests made under this section shall be at the owner's expense. Permits for the importation of registered cattle or cattle eligible for registration, which have not been calfhood vaccinated but which are from brucellosis-free countries, states or counties, may be issued at the discretion of the Commissioner of Agriculture. Permits for the importation of cattle for immediate slaughter may be issued at the discretion of the commissioner.
(b) Female cattle imported from states that are not certified as free of brucellosis for at least one year shall be officially calfhood-vaccinated prior to importation. Female cattle which are not calfhood-vaccinated but are imported from a state that is certified as free of brucellosis and have been held in such state for at least thirty days may enter this state provided the owner of such cattle presents (1) a permit and health papers showing such cattle have passed a negative blood test for brucellosis within thirty days prior to entry if such cattle are six months of age or older or (2) documentation to show that such cattle originate from a brucellosis-free herd if such cattle are under six months of age.
(1953, S. 1353c; 1955, S. 1791d; 1957, P.A. 36, S. 5; 1959, P.A. 477, S. 7; 637, S. 2; 1961, P.A. 67; February, 1965, P.A. 34, S. 1; 1967, P.A. 149; 1971, P.A. 303, S. 1; 872, S. 446, 448; P.A. 79-203, S. 2; P.A. 80-86, S. 2; P.A. 81-180, S. 2; P.A. 82-131, S. 1, 2; P.A. 95-14, S. 2; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, S. 146(e), (f); P.A. 04-189, S. 1.)
History: 1959 acts required that imported cattle more than 4 months old be vaccinated, reducing age from 6 months, and required that certified or negative animals have had negative blood tests within 90 days of their exportation unless over 30 months old when tests must be negative within 30 days where previous provision required negative test within 12 months with same standard for those over 30 months old and replaced commissioner of agriculture with commissioner of agriculture, conservation and natural resources; 1961 act replaced commissioner of agriculture, conservation and natural resources with commissioner of agriculture and natural resources; 1965 act made requirement that negative test be within 30 days applicable to cattle over 24 months rather than 30 months, deleted provision that calfhood vaccinated bulls be subject to same requirements as female animals and deleted “purebred” referring to “nonvaccinated” bulls in provision governing their importation; 1967 act made 30-day negative test provision applicable to animals over 18 months rather than 24 months and specified that negative reaction must be to test “in all dilutions”; 1971 acts replaced commissioner of agriculture and natural resources with commissioner of agriculture, made 30-day negative test provision applicable to female animals over 7 months, bulls over 6 months and official vaccinates over 18 months where provision was previously applicable to bulls regardless of age and to female cattle over 18 months, deleted reference to female animals' age and calf vaccination status in 90-day provision, prohibited entry of animals which were vaccinated when over 7 months old and allowed test by veterinarian employed by state department of agriculture; P.A. 79-203 allowed tests by livestock inspectors, added provision requiring retest of animals after entry and added Subsec. (b) re nonregistered cattle; P.A. 80-86 made Subsec. (b) applicable to female breeding and milking replacement cattle rather than to nonregistered cattle; P.A. 81-180 amended Subsec. (a) by changing the test required from the standard tube agglutination test to any test authorized by the commissioner by regulation and changing reference to 7 months as maximum age allowed for vaccination to refer to maximum age established by commissioner; P.A. 82-131 amended Subsec. (b) to allow importation of nonvaccinated cattle until October 1, 1983, upon the commissioner's determination that such cattle was from a state of origin brucellosis free for one year; P.A. 95-14 amended Subsec. (a) to lower from 7 to 6 months the age at which nonvaccinated cattle are required to test negative for official blood tests and to delete provisions re retesting, and replaced former Subsec. (b) with new provisions re vaccination of cattle prior to importation; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6 replaced Commissioner and Department of Agriculture with Commissioner and Department of Agriculture and Consumer Protection, effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 04-189 repealed Sec. 146 of June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, thereby reversing the merger of the Departments of Agriculture and Consumer Protection, effective June 1, 2004.
