Bill Text - HB1627 (2020)

(New Title) creating an animal records database.

Revision: Dec. 9, 2019, 2:19 p.m.

HB 1627-FN - AS INTRODUCED

 

 

2020 SESSION

20-2371

08/10

 

HOUSE BILL 1627-FN

 

AN ACT creating an animal health certificate database.

 

SPONSORS: Rep. Bixby, Straf. 17; Sen. Bradley, Dist 3

 

COMMITTEE: Environment and Agriculture

 

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ANALYSIS

 

This bill:

 

I.  Creates a database for animal health certificates.

 

II.  Authorizes the commissioner of the department of agriculture, markets, and foods to transfer money from certain funds.

 

III.  Establishes a fee on the submission of animal health certificates.

 

IV.  Establishes a fee on rabies vaccinations.

 

V.  Requires veterinarians to send a copy of the rabies vaccination certificate to the department of agriculture, markets, and food.

 

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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

20-2371

08/10

 

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

 

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty

 

AN ACT creating an animal health certificate database.

 

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

 

1  New Section; Health Certificate Database.  Amend RSA 437 by inserting after section 8 the following new section:

437:8-a  Animal Health Certificate Database Established.

I.  The department shall maintain a statewide database of all health certificates for any dog, cat, or ferret for which it is required; records of all rabies vaccinations, records of quarantine for any animal brought into New Hampshire for transfer under RSA 437:8, IV; any records required of pet vendors for the transfer of any animal that is not a dog, cat, or ferret; and the number of individual and group licenses issued each year by each municipality in New Hampshire under RSA 466.

II.  Such database may also be used to record other data relevant to the oversight of pet animal health in the state as the commissioner of the department of agriculture, markets, and food deems necessary.

III.  The department shall maintain a reporting system capable of receiving electronically transmitted reports from veterinarians, pet vendors, animal shelters, and hobby breeders, within 6 months of the effective date of this section.  The commissioner shall adopt rules under RSA 541-A to govern methods of obtaining, compiling, and maintaining such information it deems necessary to manage such database.  The commissioner shall also adopt rules relative to the collection of fees necessary to maintain the database.

2  Transfer Authorized.  The commissioner of the department of agriculture, markets, and food is authorized to transfer funds from the following funds in order to establish the animal transfer database:

I.  The agricultural product and scale testing fund established under RSA 435:20, IV.

II.  The pesticides control fund under RSA 430:34, V.

3  Health Certificates; Fee.  Amend RSA 437:8, VI to read as follows:

VI.  No dog, cat, or ferret shall be offered for transfer by a licensee or by any individual without first being protected against infectious diseases using a vaccine approved by the state veterinarian.  No dog, cat, or ferret shall be offered for transfer by a licensee or by any individual unless accompanied by an official health certificate issued by a licensed veterinarian.  No transfer shall occur unless the transferred animal is accompanied by a health certificate issued within the prior 14 days.  The veterinarian shall make sufficient copies of the certificate[ shall be in triplicate], one copy of which shall be retained by the signing veterinarian, one copy of which shall be for the licensee's records, and one copy of which shall be given to the transferee upon transfer as provided in paragraph III.  If an official health certificate is produced, it shall be prima facie evidence of transfer.  The signing veterinarian shall provide a copy of the health certificate to the department of agriculture, markets, and food [upon request] and submit with the copy a $1 fee for the administration of the animal health certificate database.

4  Duties of Veterinarian; Notification of Administration of Rabies Vaccine.  Amend RSA 436:102 to read as follows:

436:102  Duties of Veterinarian.  It shall be the duty of each veterinarian, at the time of vaccinating any dog, cat, or ferret, to complete a certificate of rabies vaccination [in triplicate], with sufficient copies, which includes the following information: owner's name and address, description of dog, cat, or ferret (breed, sex, markings, age, name), date of vaccination, rabies vaccination tag number, type of rabies vaccine administered, manufacturer's serial number of vaccine, and the expiration date of the vaccination.  Distribution of copies of the certificate shall be: the original to the owner, one copy retained by the issuing veterinarian and, within 40 days of the vaccination, one copy to the town or city clerk where the dog, cat, or ferret is kept and one copy to the department of agriculture, markets, and food for inclusion in the animal health certificate database under RSA 437:8-a.  The veterinarian and the owner shall retain their copies for the interval between vaccinations specified in RSA 436:100.  A metal or durable plastic tag, serially numbered, shall be securely attached to the collar or harness of the dog.  Whenever the dog is out-of-doors, off the owner's premises, and not under the control of the owner or handler while working the dog, the collar or harness with the vaccination tag shall be worn.  For the purposes of this section, "working the dog" means a dog doing a defined functional canine activity with its owner or handler such as hunting, field work, drafting, and guarding, working, or herding livestock, as defined in RSA 21:34-a, II(a)(4), or participating in any lawful competitive event, including, but not limited to, conformation shows or obedience trials, field trials, agility events, hunts, sled races, or training activities pertinent to functional canine activities.  Cats and ferrets shall not be required to wear the collar or harness with the tag.

5  Cost; Rabies Vaccination Fee.  Amend RSA 436:103 to read as follows:

436:103  Cost.  The cost of rabies vaccination shall be paid by the owner of the dog, cat, or ferret.  A fee of $1 shall be included in the cost of such vaccinations and shall be submitted to the department of agriculture, markets, and food at the time of the submission of the vaccination certificate required in RSA 436:102 for the administration of the animal health certificate database.

6  Effective Date.  

I.  Sections 3-5 of this act shall take effect July 1, 2021.

II.  The remainder of this act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.

 

LBAO

20-2371

12/6/19

 

HB 1627-FN- FISCAL NOTE

AS INTRODUCED

 

AN ACT creating an animal health certificate database.

 

FISCAL IMPACT:      [ X ] State              [    ] County               [    ] Local              [    ] None

 

 

 

Estimated Increase / (Decrease)

STATE:

FY 2020

FY 2021

FY 2022

FY 2023

   Appropriation

$0

$0

$0

$0

   Revenue

$0

$0

$0

$233,000

   Expenditures

$0

Indeterminable Increase

Indeterminable Increase

Indeterminable Increase

Funding Source:

  [ X ] General            [    ] Education            [    ] Highway           [ X ] Other - Agricultural product and scale testing fund, pesticides control fund and fee revenue

 

 

 

 

 

METHODOLOGY:

This bill creates a database for animal transfers and health certificates and authorizes the Commissioner of the Department of Agriculture, Markets and Food to transfer money from the agricultural product and scale testing and pesticide control funds to pay for the database.  The bill establishes a $1 fee on animal health certificates and rabies vaccines and requires veterinarians to send a copy of each rabies vaccine certificate to the Department of Agriculture, Markets and Foods.

 

The Department of Agriculture, Markets and Food makes the following assumptions regarding the fiscal impact of this bill:

  • Based on data available from the American Veterinary Medical Association regarding pet ownership, the Department estimates over 45,000 health certificates will be issued annually.
  • Regarding the annual rabies vaccine, the Department estimates 77,733 dogs and 110,400 cats are vaccinated each year, for a total of about 188,000 vaccines annually.  
  • The Department estimates the annual revenue to the animal health certificate database from the new $1 fees will be $233,000 (45,000 health certificates x $1, plus 188,000  rabies vaccines x $1)
  • The Department does not have existing resources that could be used in support of the bill.
  • The Department does not currently have the capacity or personnel with the expertise to collect the anticipated volume of fees or the ability to accept electronic payments.  Without personnel to dedicate to collections, the Department assumes an electronic payment system would need to be developed.   The cost of such a system is not known at this time.
  • The Department assumes, in the absence of new positions, the intent is for electronic submission of all files directly into the database.  If health certificates are to be  submitted in hard copy form, additional staff would be needed to perform the responsibilities in the bill related health certificates and the animal health certificate database.  This work would require 2 additional staff positions for the receipt, review, data entry and filing of an estimated 45,000 health certificates based on processing time of 5 minutes per certificate.  The Department does not have the physical space for additional staff or to store the volume of additional hard copy records and would need to find new/additional office space.
  • Rabies certificates are currently submitted to by veterinarians to town clerks.  If certificates are not submitted directly into the database,  submission of hardcopy rabies certificates to the Department would require 8.5 additional staff positions for receipt, review, data entry and filing of an 188,000 health certificates assuming a processing time of 5 minutes per certificate.
  • Based on general discussions with possible vendors, a database would cost between $675,000 and $1,000,000 for the initial purchase and $300,000 for annual maintenance.  The bill would require implementation of the electronic system within 6 months of the effective date.  Due to the time required for a public RFP process, approvals of the Departments of Information Technology, the Department of Justice, the Governor and Executive Council, and the actual development work, the Department assumes the earliest implementation could occur would be July 1, 2022.
  • Based on communications with the Division of Vital Records the Department assumes a minimum of one full-time project manager with IT experience will be needed to oversee design and implementation of the animal health certificate database.

 

AGENCIES CONTACTED:

Department of Agriculture, Markets and Food