(a) The Commissioner of Agriculture may require and provide for the drawing and collecting of blood samples for the control of brucellosis from goats over three months of age and herds of bovine animals, including male bovine animals, six months of age or over, but not including steers, and may at his discretion decide not to test heifers which have been officially calfhood vaccinated, until they have calved or are eighteen months of age. All blood samples shall be submitted to a laboratory approved by the Commissioner of Agriculture and all milk samples shall be submitted to a laboratory approved by said commissioner for examination and the results of such tests shall be reported by the laboratories to the commissioner in a manner prescribed by him. Upon receipt of the laboratory reports on any such tests, the commissioner shall inform the owner or agent and the veterinarian of the result thereof. When the commissioner has determined the condition of such herd by such tests, all animals reacting positively to any test for brucellosis shall be identified by branding with a hot iron on the left jaw and a metal number reactor tag in the left ear as approved by the commissioner. All such reactors shall be appraised, branded, tagged and slaughtered within fifteen days and the premises cleaned, disinfected and approved within thirty days after slaughter in order to qualify for indemnity under section 22-307. If the reaction of any animal to a test for brucellosis is suspicious, it may be identified and quarantined and shall not be disposed of without first obtaining written permission from the commissioner.

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

(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. Any positive reactors shall be immediately slaughtered and the premises cleaned and disinfected.

(d) The drawing of blood samples for brucellosis tests shall be restricted to the State Veterinarian, veterinarians employed by the Department of Agriculture, veterinarians employed by the federal government and veterinarians licensed to practice in this state and assigned by the commissioner for that purpose.