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76-7A-6 Temporary quarantine powers of the department with respect to livestock.
The department may quarantine any domestic livestock, captive wildlife or captive estray
animals suspected [of exposure] or knowingly [known to be] exposed to a harmful plant. The
quarantine shall not exceed a period of ninety- six hours or for such lesser period when
the animal's digestive system can reasonably be expected to be purged of carrying any
reproductive part of the harmful plant. The department's inspector shall examine each
exposed animal's hide or wool for the presence of a harmful plant. At the end of the
ninety-six hour period or at the end of such lesser period as provided in this section,
the quarantined animals shall be released under conditions established by the department.
77-3-1. Diseases; inspection; quarantine.
A. The board may use all proper means to prevent the spreading of dangerous and fatal
diseases among livestock and for the extirpation of such diseases. If a disease breaks out
in the state, it is the duty of all persons owning or having in their charge livestock
infected to immediately notify the board of the existence of such disease. The board shall
cause proper examination to be made by a veterinarian and, if the disease is found to be a
dangerously contagious or infectious malady, the board shall order the diseased livestock
that have been exposed to be strictly quarantined and shall order any premises
or farms where such disease exists or has recently existed to be put in quarantine so that
no livestock subject to the disease is removed from or brought to the premises or places
so quarantined. The board shall prescribe such rules as it deems necessary to prevent the
disease from being communicated in any way from the premises so quarantined.
B. The board may expend funds to prevent, suppress, control or eradicate any disease or
parasite of livestock that the board has by rule declared to be a disease or pest of
significant economic impact to any segment of the livestock industry. This power shall
include the right to purchase and destroy or sell infected or exposed livestock.
C. Whenever the board finds any livestock infested with a disease or pest declared by the
board to be of significant economic impact, the board may request the governor to declare
an emergency as provided in Section 6-7-3
NMSA 1978.
77-3-2. Report of diseased livestock; offenses; expense recovery; duties of
sheriffs; penalty.
A. A person who has in his possession or under his care any livestock that he knows or
has reason to believe is affected with a disease shall without unnecessary delay tell the
board or some member of the board or the sheriff of the county in which the livestock is
situate. The sheriff shall immediately notify the director.
B. A person shall not bring into this state or sell or dispose of any livestock known to
be affected or exposed to disease or move diseased or exposed livestock from quarantine or
move any livestock to or from a district in the state declared to be infected with a
disease or bring into this state any diseased livestock from a district outside the state
that may at any time
be legally declared to be affected with such disease without the consent of the board.
C. A person who violates a provision of Subsection A or B of this section is guilty of a
misdemeanor and upon conviction shall be sentenced in accordance with the provisions of
Section 31-19-1 NMSA 1978 for each head illegally moved.
D. Any guard or other proper expenses incurred in the quarantining of the livestock shall
be paid by the owner, and if the same is refused, after demand made by order of the board,
an action may be brought to recover the same with costs of suit, which action may be
brought in the name of the state for the use of the board. It is the duty of all sheriffs
to execute all lawful orders of the board.
77-3-4 Dead animals; disposal.
The bodies of all dead animals shall be buried, burned or disposed of by the owners as
provided by regulations of the board.
77-3-5. Infected pastures and buildings; notices.
A. If a pasture, building, corral, yard or enclosure where livestock have been or may be
pastured or confined is infected with or has become dangerous on account of a disease or
poisonous weed or plant, the board may post danger or quarantine notices in not less than
two conspicuous places in or upon such pasture, building, corral, yard or enclosure
sufficient to warn all owners and others in charge of livestock of the danger or
quarantine. When the danger has passed or the quarantine is lifted, the board shall
require the posted notices to be removed.
B. Except as authorized by the director, a person who removes a posted notice of danger or
quarantine is guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction shall be sentenced in accordance
with the provisions of Section 31-19-1 NMSA [1978].
77-3-8. Destruction of diseased livestock; payment to the owner; appraisal.
In cases where the board deems it necessary to destroy any diseased, infected or
exposed livestock in order to prevent the spread of dangerous and fatal diseases such as
glanders, farcy, tuberculosis, pleuro-pneumonia, rinderpest, foot and mouth disease or any
other dangerous and fatal disease, foreign or other, which according to the rules,
regulations and standards adopted by the United States department of agriculture animal
and plant health inspection service cannot be extirpated by means other than the
destroying of the diseased, infected or exposed livestock, the board may have the
livestock
killed and burned or buried under such rules as the board may prescribe. The board shall
cooperate with the United States department of agriculture in paying to the owners of the
slaughtered livestock the allowed indemnity
determined by the United States department of agriculture animal and plant health
inspection service and the board.
77-3-9. Acceptance of federal rules and regulations; cooperation.
The board may accept on behalf of the state the rules and regulations prepared by the
secretary of the United States department of agriculture relating to the control of
diseases of livestock and to cooperate with the authorities of the United States in the
enforcement of the provisions of all acts and regulations relating to diseased livestock.
77-3-10. Federal officers; powers.
The representatives of the United States department of agriculture animal and plant health
inspection service under the specific authorization of the board may inspect, quarantine
and condemn livestock affected with a disease or suspected of being affected with a
disease or that have been exposed to a disease and for these purposes may enter any
grounds or premises in the state. The representatives may call upon peace officers to
assist them in the discharge of their duties as specified by the board in carrying out
federal laws and regulations as provided in Section 77-3-9 NMSA 1978. The peace
officers shall assist the representatives when so requested and authorized by the board.
77-3-13. Dangerous epidemics; emergency rules; imports prohibited; penalty.
A. When the board or any of its authorized representatives finds that a disease, the
nature of which is known to be fatal or highly injurious to livestock, pigeons or fowl of
any kind, has become epidemic or exists in a locality in a country, state or territory
beyond the limits of this state, the board shall immediately adopt and promulgate
emergency rules to prohibit the
importation into this state of any animals, including livestock, subject to the disease
that may be so reported.
B. The board shall specify such restrictions and safeguards as it deems proper and shall
specify for the protection of livestock in this state and may also prohibit the
importation into this state of any hoofs, hides, skins or meat of any animals or any hay,
straw fodder, cottonseed or other products or material calculated to carry the infection
of such disease.
C. Emergency rules may be adopted and promulgated without the notice and hearing required
of other rules and shall take effect immediately. If the board contemplates that an
emergency rule will be in effect for longer than ninety days, it shall give notice and
hold a hearing to adopt the emergency rule as a rule.
D. Any person who violates any provision of this section or an emergency rule issued in
accordance with this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction shall be
sentenced in accordance with the provisions of Section 31-19-1 NMSA 1978 for each head and
is also liable in a civil action for any damages and loss sustained by reason of such
importation of the livestock or of any of the products provided for in this section.
77-3-14. Health certificate; inspection; permit; penalty.
A. After the issuance of an emergency rule pursuant to the provisions of Section 77-3-13
NMSA 1978 and while the emergency rule continues in force, it is unlawful for a person to
drive or transport or cause to be driven or transported into this state any livestock that
by any direct or circuitous route might have come from any place or district covered by
the emergency rule without first having obtained a certificate of health from a
veterinarian or a permit in writing from the board under such rules as the board
prescribes.
B. A person failing to comply with this provision is guilty of a misdemeanor and upon
conviction shall be sentenced in accordance with the provisions of Section 31-19-1 NMSA
1978 and is also personally liable for all loss and
damages sustained by any persons by reason of the introduction of a disease from the
livestock unlawfully imported into this state.
C. During the time covered by the emergency rule, all livestock desiring to enter the
state shall submit to an inspection and shall not be permitted to enter the state until a
written or printed permit is issued by the board. A livestock inspector or other agent of
the board may require the person in charge of the livestock to produce the permit for his
inspection, and any
person refusing to produce the permit at any time within a year from the time the
livestock were driven in is guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction shall be sentenced
in accordance with the provisions of Section 31-19-1 NMSA
1978.
77-3-14.1. AGID tests required.
The board shall adopt rules prohibiting the driving or transporting into this state of any
horses or other equidae that have not tested negative to the AGID, or Coggins, test or a
United States department of agriculture-approved equivalent test for equine infectious
anemia within twelve months prior to the date of entry, the evidence of which test result
shall be shown on a health certificate; excepting from regulation only those foals
accompanied in shipment by a negative-tested dam, those horses or other equidae consigned
directly to slaughter
77-3-15 Investigation of suspected illegal imports; oaths; health certificate of permit.
Whenever the board, during the continuance in force of any prohibition against the
importation into this state of livestock has good reason to believe or suspect that any
such livestock against the importation of which prohibition then exists have been or are
about to be driven, conveyed or transported into this state in violation of any such
prohibition then existing and then in force, it is the duty of the board, either by its
own members or through a veterinarian or through one or more of such persons then in their
employ as circumstances shall seem to require, to thoroughly investigate the same. They
may examine, under oath or affirmation, any person in charge of the livestock or any
person cognizant of any facts or circumstances material to the investigations and all
facts connected with the driving or transportation of the livestock, including the place
or places from which the livestock have been driven or transported; the places or
districts through which they have been driven or transported; the length of time and where
they have remained, fed or grazed at any designated place or district; what contagious or
infectious disease of livestock, if any, they have been exposed to and when and where; and
any other facts or circumstances material to the investigation and reduce such testimony
to writing in all cases where the certificate of health or the permit in writing provided
for in this section shall be refused. The members of the board, a veterinarian and all
other persons as aforesaid so in the employ of the board through whom any such
investigation shall be made hereby are authorized to administer all oaths and affirmations
required in any such investigation. If any such investigation is made by such veterinarian
and he is satisfied that the livestock are free from all contagious and infectious disease
and will not communicate any disease to any livestock in this state, he shall deliver to
the person in charge of the livestock a certificate of health to the effect that the
livestock are healthy and entitled to pass into the state, otherwise he shall refuse the
same. If such investigation is made by any other persons authorized as specified in this
section to make the investigation and they are satisfied that the livestock will not
transmit to the livestock in this state any livestock disease and that the facts and
circumstances attending their transportation warrant the presumption that such livestock
are not from any prohibited areas, a recommendation that the importation of the livestock
shall then be permitted, shall be communicated to the board and the board shall upon
concurrence give the person in charge of the livestock a written permit to pass the same
into the state, otherwise such permit shall be refused.
77-3-16 Rules and regulations.
It is the duty of the board to make all useful rules and regulations respecting
examinations and investigations for the granting or refusing of certificates of health and
permits provided for in the next succeeding section and give ample publicity thereto so
that all persons, companies and corporations who may desire to drive or transport any
livestock into the state may be conveniently advised of what will be required to obtain
any such certificate or permit during the existence of any prohibition to the importation
of livestock into the state and of when, where and to whom application therefor may be
made.
77-3-17 Quarantine; seizure of cattle.
Whenever any livestock are driven or transported into the state without obtaining a
certificate of health or permit by the person in charge thereof, in any case where a
certificate or permit is required and if such livestock have been inspected and an
investigation had in relation thereto and the certificate or permit refused, then the
livestock may be seized and securely held in quarantine under such reasonable rules and
regulations as shall be prescribed therefor by the board and as they may deem necessary to
guard against other livestock becoming affected with any such livestock diseases. They
shall be held in quarantine for such length of time as the board shall in their opinion
deem necessary for the sanitary protection of livestock in this state. If such livestock
shall not have been so inspected and an investigation had, then the same shall take place
wherever the livestock may be found, and they may be seized and held for that purpose and
a certificate of health or permit granted or refused, as the case may require. If refused,
the livestock may in like manner be held in quarantine. All the necessary expenses of
quarantine and inspection under the provisions of this section shall be paid by the owners
of the livestock.
77-3-18 Liens for expenses and for damages for communicating disease.
All expenses incurred in and by the inspection and quarantine of livestock under Section
77-3-17 NMSA 1978 shall be a lien on such livestock to secure the payment thereof in favor
of the board, as an indemnity for the expenses so incurred. All loss and damages incurred
and suffered by any person, company or corporation of any of the provisions of this
chapter shall be lien on the livestock so unlawfully imported in favor of the person,
company or corporation so incurring or suffering such loss or damage. All liens covered by
this section shall take precedence and priority over any other lien or encumbrance on any
such livestock existing at the time of their unlawful importation as aforesaid or at any
time subsequent thereto. All such liens shall subsist and become effective as security for
ultimate payment without any other act or proceeding whatever and after judgment any such
lien may be foreclosed by sale of the livestock on execution.
Amended in 1999.
Reviewed and updated by AAHS in January 2002.
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