Sec. 7.
(1) The director must appoint an individual as state veterinarian who will be the chief animal health official of this state. The appointment shall be made in accordance with the rules of the state civil service commission. The individual appointed as state veterinarian must maintain a current license to practice veterinary medicine in this state and be federally accredited in this state by the United States Department of Agriculture. The state veterinarian must be skilled in the diagnosis, treatment, and control of infectious and toxicological diseases of animals. The state veterinarian must also be knowledgeable of state and federal laws as they relate to the intrastate, interstate, and international movement of animals.
(2) Office facilities and laboratory services for the investigation of infectious or toxicological diseases of animals shall be made available for the state veterinarian’s use.
(3) Under the direction of the director, the state veterinarian shall do all of the following:
(a) Develop and enforce policy and supervise activities to carry out this act and other state and federal laws, rules, and regulations that pertain to the health and welfare of animals in this state on public or private premises.
(b) Serve as the authority for animal welfare oversight on livestock-related issues.
(c) Maintain a list of reportable animal diseases. The state veterinarian shall review and update the list annually and more often if necessary. When feasible and practical, the state veterinarian shall seek input from stakeholders for any changes in the list of reportable animal diseases.
(d) Develop and implement scientifically based surveillance and monitoring programs for reportable animal diseases when the director determines, with advice and consultation from the impacted animal industry and veterinary profession, that these programs would aid in the control or eradication of a specific reportable animal disease or strengthen the economic viability of the industry.
(e) Maintain a list of veterinary biologicals whose sale, distribution, use, or administration by any person is reported to the director when requested by the director within 10 working days after the sale, distribution, use, or administration. The state veterinarian shall review and update the list annually and more often if necessary.
(f) Promulgate rules under the administrative procedures act of 1969, 1969 PA 306, MCL 24.201 to 24.328, for the use of veterinary biologicals, including diagnostic biological agents.
(4) Unless otherwise prohibited by law, the state veterinarian may enter upon any public or private premises to enforce this act.
(5) The state veterinarian shall maintain requirements for the importation of animals into this state. When feasible and practical, the state veterinarian shall seek input from stakeholders for any changes in importation requirements.
(6) The director may waive any testing requirements after epidemiologic review.
History: 1988, Act 466, Eff. Mar. 28, 1989 ;– Am. 1994, Act 41, Imd. Eff. Mar. 14, 1994 ;– Am. 2019, Act 132, Eff. Feb. 19, 2020