Revision: Jan. 10, 2021, 9:11 a.m.
HB 387 - AS INTRODUCED
2021 SESSION
21-0411
08/05
HOUSE BILL 387
AN ACT relative to rabies vaccinations for dogs.
SPONSORS: Rep. Buco, Carr. 2
COMMITTEE: Environment and Agriculture
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ANALYSIS
This bill makes provisions for dogs that do not adequately react to a rabies vaccine.
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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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
21-0411
08/05
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty One
AN ACT relative to rabies vaccinations for dogs.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 Rabies Vaccination Required; Exemption. Amend RSA 436:100 to read as follows:
436:100 Rabies Vaccination Required; Exemption.
I. Except as provided in paragraph II, every healthy dog, cat, and ferret 3 months of age and older shall be vaccinated against rabies. Young dogs, cats, and ferrets shall be vaccinated within 30 days after they have reached 3 months of age. Unvaccinated dogs, cats, and ferrets acquired or moved into the state shall be vaccinated within 30 days after purchase or arrival, unless under 3 months of age, as specified above. A rabies antibody test is to be done 30 days post initial vaccination for dogs to confirm immunity. Results of the test are to be discussed with a licensed veterinarian who will determine what action is to be taken to ensure immunity and public safety. Any dog whose lack of response to the vaccine shall be considered a non-responder and shall be maintained in strict rabies isolation, under conditions that are at the discretion of the local rabies control authority. Non-responders shall not be allowed outdoors without being on a leash and shall be under the direct physical control of an adult owner at all times. In addition, when the animal is outdoors, it shall be muzzled in a manner approved by the local rabies control authority. These restrictions shall be in effect until proof of adequate protection can be documented. Every dog, cat, and ferret shall be revaccinated between 9 and 12 months after the initial vaccination and subsequently receive booster vaccines as outlined in the most current National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians' Compendium of Animal Rabies Prevention and Control. In rabies infected areas, dogs, cats, and ferrets recently vaccinated shall be kept under control, with dogs under leash control, for at least 30 days [before being allowed to run free].
II. A rabies immunization exemption may be issued, where illness or a veterinary medical condition warrants, by the local rabies control authority upon the written recommendation of a veterinarian licensed under RSA 332-B. The recommendation shall also be signed by an American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine diplomate and the state veterinarian. The exemption shall be valid for no more than one year from the date of the last signature on the written recommendation for exemption. Dogs that have had at least one rabies vaccine and where protection can be confirmed by titer at the time of exemption, shall not be subject to being maintained in rabies isolation. A dog with a current exemption thought to have been exposed to a confirmed or suspected rabid animal, shall be considered as having an out-of-date vaccination status. Post exposure management and quarantine shall be carried out in accordance with the information listed in the most current National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians' Compendium of Animal Rabies Prevention and Control. [The exempted animal shall be maintained in strict rabies isolation, under conditions that are at the discretion of the local rabies control authority, until such time as the medical condition has been resolved and the animal can be immunized against rabies. Exempted animals shall not be allowed outdoors without being on a leash and shall be under the direct physical control of an adult owner at all times. In addition, when the animal is outdoors, it shall be muzzled in a manner approved by the local rabies control authority. The exemption shall be valid for no more than one year from the date of the last signature on the written recommendation for exemption.]
2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect January 1, 2022.