Virginia Code 3.2-6010: Proclamation prohibiting animal importation; required tests.
A. When the Commissioner or the State Veterinarian shall have a reasonable belief of the existence of contagious or infectious diseases of animals in localities in other states, territories, or countries, or that conditions exist that, in the judgment of the Commissioner or of the State Veterinarian, render the importation of animals from such localities a menace to the health of the livestock or poultry of the Commonwealth, the Commissioner or the State Veterinarian shall, by proclamation, prohibit the importation of any or all kinds of animals from any locality of other states, territories or countries, into the Commonwealth, except pursuant to subsection B.
Terms Used In Virginia Code 3.2-6010
- Animal: means any organism of the kingdom Animalia, other than a human being. See Virginia Code 3.2-5900
- Commissioner: means the Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services. See Virginia Code 3.2-100
- Hatching egg: means any egg of any chicken, turkey, waterfowl, or game bird, or the egg of any other avian species that is used or intended to be used for hatching purposes. See Virginia Code 3.2-5900
- 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 § Virginia Code 3.2-5900
- Locality: means a county, city, or town as the context may require. See Virginia Code 1-221
- Poultry: includes all domestic fowl and game birds raised in captivity. See Virginia Code 3.2-5900
- State: when applied to a part of the United States, includes any of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the United States Virgin Islands. See Virginia Code 1-245
- State Veterinarian: means the veterinarian employed by the Commissioner as provided in § Virginia Code 3.2-5900
B. The Commissioner or the State Veterinarian may require documentation of negative laboratory test results using a test specified by the State Veterinarian within a specific time period prior to an animal, embryo, hatching egg, or semen entering the Commonwealth. Expenses associated with meeting entry requirements shall be borne by the owner of the animal.
Code 1950, § 3-576; 1966, c. 702, § 3.1-734; 2008, c. 860.