Assembly Bill A10186

                            
                    S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                  10186

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                              May 10, 2012
                               ___________

Introduced by M. of A. REILLY -- read once and referred to the Committee
  on Agriculture

AN  ACT  to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to estab-
  lishing a livestock standards board

  THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section  1. The agriculture and markets law is amended by adding a new
article 26-C to read as follows:
                               ARTICLE 26-C
                        LIVESTOCK STANDARDS BOARD
SECTION 420. LIVESTOCK STANDARDS BOARD.
        421. PURPOSE OF THE LIVESTOCK STANDARDS BOARD.
  S 420. LIVESTOCK STANDARDS BOARD. 1. (A) THERE IS HEREBY  CREATED  THE
LIVESTOCK  STANDARDS  BOARD  WHICH  SHALL  CONSIST  OF  TEN MEMBERS. THE
MEMBERS OF THE BOARD SHALL BE APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR AS FOLLOWS:
  (I) THE COMMISSIONER OR HIS OR HER DESIGNEE;
  (II) THE DEAN OF CORNELL SCHOOL OF VETERINARY MEDICINE OR HIS  OR  HER
DESIGNEE;
  (III) THE STATE VETERINARIAN;
  (IV)  ONE  MEMBER  SHALL  BE  A REPRESENTATIVE OF CORNELL UNIVERSITY'S
PRO-DAIRY PROGRAM;
  (V) THREE MEMBERS SHALL BE NOMINATED BY THE NEW YORK STATE FARM BUREAU
AND SHALL INCLUDE A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE FARM BUREAU FOR A TERM OF  TWO
YEARS,  AN  ACTIVE  DAIRY FARMER IN THE STATE FOR A TERM OF THREE YEARS,
AND AN OWNER OF A FAMILY FARM OF LIVESTOCK IN THE STATE FOR  A  TERM  OF
FOUR YEARS;
  (VI) ONE MEMBER SHALL BE AN OFFICER FROM AN INCORPORATED HUMANE SOCIE-
TY AS NOMINATED BY A HUMANE SOCIETY, FOR A TERM OF TWO YEARS; AND
  (VII)  TWO  MEMBERS  REPRESENTING  CONSUMER  ORGANIZATIONS, ONE MEMBER
SHALL BE NOMINATED BY THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY FOR  A  TERM  OF  FOUR
YEARS  AND  ONE  MEMBER SHALL BE NOMINATED BY THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF
THE SENATE, FOR A TERM OF THREE YEARS.
  (B) AFTER THE INITIAL APPOINTMENT TERMS, THE APPOINTMENT TERM IS THREE
YEARS. APPOINTED MEMBERS MAY BE REAPPOINTED FOR ONE ADDITIONAL TERM.

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                           LBD15807-01-2

A. 10186                            2

  (C) ALL  APPOINTED  MEMBERS  SERVE  UNTIL  THEIR  SUCCESSOR  HAS  BEEN
APPOINTED  AND QUALIFIED.   VACANCIES SHALL BE FILLED IN THE SAME MANNER
AS THE ORIGINAL APPOINTMENT FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE UNEXPIRED TERM.
  2.  THE CHAIR OF THE LIVESTOCK STANDARDS BOARD SHALL BE ELECTED BY THE
MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
  3.  THE  MEMBERS  OF THE BOARD SHALL RECEIVE NO COMPENSATION FOR THEIR
SERVICES AS MEMBERS BUT SHALL BE  ALLOWED  THEIR  ACTUAL  AND  NECESSARY
EXPENSES INCURRED BY THEM IN THE PERFORMANCE OF THEIR DUTIES PURSUANT TO
THIS ARTICLE.
  4. THE BOARD SHALL MEET AT LEAST SEMI-ANNUALLY.
  5.  FOR  PURPOSES OF THIS ARTICLE "LIVESTOCK" SHALL MEAN RUMINANT FARM
MAMMALS INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, CATTLE, SHEEP, AND GOATS.
  S 421. PURPOSE OF THE LIVESTOCK STANDARDS BOARD. 1. THE BOARD'S PRIMA-
RY PURPOSE SHALL BE FARMER EDUCATION AS  TO  THE  PROPER  STANDARDS  FOR
LIVESTOCK CARE, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO:
  (A) BEST PRACTICES FOR THE CARE AND WELL-BEING OF LIVESTOCK;
  (B)  TO  ADVISE ON THE PREVENTION OF LIVESTOCK DISEASES, MORBIDITY AND
MORTALITY;
  (C) ACCEPTED VETERINARY MEDICAL PRACTICES RELATED TO LIVESTOCK  TREAT-
MENT; AND
  (D)  ANY OTHER AREAS THE BOARD CONSIDERS IMPORTANT FOR THE APPROPRIATE
CARE AND TREATMENT OF LIVESTOCK.
  2. (A) THE BOARD SHALL SERVE IN AN ADVISORY ROLE TO THE DEPARTMENT AND
LEGISLATURE IN THE ESTABLISHMENT OF STANDARDS AND ACCEPTED PRACTICES FOR
LIVESTOCK CARE.
  (B) THE STANDARDS FOR LIVESTOCK CARE ESTABLISHED BY THE CORNELL SCHOOL
OF VETERINARY MEDICINE SHALL BE ADOPTED BY THE BOARD, SUBJECT TO MODIFI-
CATION AND AMENDMENT AS DEEMED NECESSARY BY THE BOARD.
  (C) THE LIVESTOCK STANDARDS BOARD SHALL BASE  ITS  POLICY  RECOMMENDA-
TIONS  AND  GUIDELINES  ON  THE  NEW  YORK STATE CATTLE HEALTH ASSURANCE
PROGRAM DEVELOPED BY CORNELL UNIVERSITY, TO PROMOTE  THE  WELL-BEING  OF
CATTLE BY EMPHASIZING GUIDELINES FOR THEIR PROPER CARE AND HANDLING.
  3.  THE BOARD SHALL PROPOSE RECOMMENDATIONS AND LEGISLATION CONSISTENT
WITH PROMOTING THE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF  LIVESTOCK.    ALL  EMERGING
REGULATIONS  AND LEGISLATION SHALL BE MEASURED AGAINST THE STANDARDS FOR
LIVESTOCK CARE, AS ESTABLISHED BY THE CORNELL SCHOOL OF VETERINARY MEDI-
CINE AND AS ADOPTED BY THE BOARD.
  4.  ALL ADOPTED STANDARDS AND BOARD RECOMMENDATIONS SHALL BE  ACCESSI-
BLE  TO THE PUBLIC AND SHALL BE POSTED IN A MANNER THAT WILL MOST EFFEC-
TIVELY PROMOTE THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION.
  5.  THE LIVESTOCK STANDARDS BOARD,  ESTABLISHED  PURSUANT  TO  SECTION
FOUR HUNDRED TWENTY OF THIS ARTICLE SHALL BE FUNDED BY THE DEPARTMENT.
  S  2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2013. Effective immediately,
the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or  regulation  neces-
sary for the implementation of this act on its effective date is author-
ized to be made and completed on or before such effective date.