Connecticut General Statutes/Title 22/Chapter 433/Section 22-298

CGS § 22-298. Testing for brucellosis. Procedures. Liability. Breeding swine or goats on same premises as cattle. Prohibition. Persons authorized to test.

(a) The commissioner may require and provide for the drawing and collecting of samples for testing and the control of brucellosis in livestock in this state. All blood and milk samples shall be submitted to a laboratory approved by the commissioner and the results of such tests shall be reported by the laboratories to the commissioner in a manner prescribed by the commissioner. Upon receipt of the laboratory reports on any such tests, the commissioner shall inform the owner or agent of any corporation and the applicable veterinarian of the results. Any condemnation of livestock infected with brucellosis shall comply with section 22-288. The procedures for testing for brucellosis and the control and disposition of livestock infected with brucellosis shall conform to one of the following: (1) For cattle and bison, the procedures, methods, testing and disposition shall conform to the USDA uniform methods and rules for brucellosis eradication in cattle and bison; (2) for swine, the procedures, methods, testing and disposition of shall conform to the USDA uniform methods and rules for brucellosis eradication in swine; (3) for cervidae, the procedures, methods, testing and disposition of shall conform to the USDA uniform methods and rules for brucellosis eradication in cervidae; (4) for species other than cattle, bison, swine or cervidae, the procedures, methods, testing and disposition for brucellosis shall be determined by the State Veterinarian; or (5) the most recent USDA approved and published brucellosis procedures for testing and the control and disposition of brucellosis positive livestock.

(b) The state shall not be liable for any damage incurred or alleged to have been incurred by any such test performed pursuant to this section.

(c) No swine or goats used for breeding purposes shall be kept on the same premises as cattle unless such swine or goats are certified free from brucellosis.

(d) The drawing of samples for brucellosis tests shall be restricted to the State Veterinarian, veterinarians and trained employees of the department, veterinarians employed by the federal government and accredited veterinarians licensed to practice in this state.

Short History

(1949 Rev., S. 3328; 1955, S. 1785d; 1957, P.A. 36, S. 1; 1959, P.A. 477, S. 1; 637, S. 2; 1961, P.A. 67; 1967, P.A. 215; 1969, P.A. 104, S. 1; 1971, P.A. 5; 872, S. 446, 448; P.A. 77-267, S. 3; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 91-10, S. 8, 20; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, S. 146(e), (f); P.A. 04-189, S. 1; P.A. 23-187, S. 10.)

Long History

History: 1959 acts deleted provisions re herd owners' requests for brucellosis testing, allowing instead that commissioner may require such tests, increased age of heifers before testing from 24 to 30 months, required submission of milk samples to state department of health, specified that brand on afflicted animals be placed on left jaw and that left ear have metal reflector tag, required that premises where afflicted animals have been kept be cleaned, disinfected and approved within 30 days of their slaughter as qualification for indemnity and later 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; 1967 act made testing mandatory rather than optional, rephrased exemption re steers and other specially designated classes of animals to specifically include male bovines, 6 months or older except steers and reduced age for which postponement of testing for heifers applies from 30 to 24 months; 1969 act reduced age applicable to heifers to 18 months and replaced reference to Storrs Agricultural Experiment Station laboratory and to department of health laboratory with reference to laboratory approved by commissioner; 1971 acts replaced commissioner of agriculture and natural resources with commissioner of agriculture and added reference in Subsec. (d) to veterinarians employed by state department of agriculture; P.A. 77-267 made testing provisions applicable to goats over 3 months old; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 91-10 amended Subsec. (a) to make commissioner's duty under this section a discretionary power; 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; P.A. 23-187 deleted existing provisions and added new Subsec. (a) re testing procedures for brucellosis, new Subsec. (b) re state liability for such testing, new Subsec. (c) re prohibition concerning breeding swine and goats being kept on same premises as cattle unless certified to be free from brucellosis, and new Subsec. (d) re persons authorized to perform such testing, effective June 28, 2023.