06 LC
25 4237
House
Bill 1376
By:
Representatives Marin of the
96th
and Ehrhart of the
36th
A
BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
AN ACT
To
amend Chapter 19 of Title 31 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating
to control of rabies, so as to change certain provisions relating to inoculation
of canines and felines against rabies; to provide for inoculation of other
domesticated animals; to change certain provisions relating to county rabies
control officers; to provide for collection and disposition of fees; to provide
for rabies inoculation tags and certificates; to repeal conflicting laws; and
for other purposes.
BE
IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION
1.
Chapter
19 of Title 31 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to control of
rabies, is amended by striking Code Section 31-19-5, relating to inoculation of
canines and felines against rabies, and inserting in lieu thereof the
following:
"31-19-5.
The
county boards of health are empowered and required to adopt and promulgate rules
and regulations requiring
canines and
felines
canines,
felines, and any other domesticated animals that are potential rabies carriers
and for which an approved antirabies vaccine is
available to be inoculated against rabies
and to prescribe the intervals and means of inoculation,
the fees to
be paid in county sponsored clinics,
that fees be
paid in accordance with this chapter, that tags and certificates be issued by a
licensed veterinarian as proof of
inoculation, that procedures be in
compliance with the recommendations of the National Association of State Public
Health Veterinarians for identifying
inoculated
canines and felines
canines,
felines, and other domesticated animals that have been inoculated as
required, and all other procedures
applicable thereto. As used in this chapter, the term 'inoculation against
rabies' means the administering by a licensed veterinarian of antirabies vaccine
approved by the
department."
SECTION
2.
Said
chapter is further amended by striking Code Section 31-19-7, relating to county
rabies control officers, and inserting in lieu thereof the
following:
"31-19-7.
(a)
The county board of health shall appoint a person who is knowledgeable of
animals to be the county rabies control officer. It shall be the duty of the
county rabies control officer to enforce this chapter and other laws which
regulate the activities of
dogs
canines,
felines, and other domesticated animals that are required to be inoculated
against rabies pursuant to Code Section
31-19-5.
(b)(1)
The county governing authority of each county is authorized to levy a fee not to
exceed
50¢
$5.00
for each
dog
animal that is
required to be inoculated against rabies,
such fee to be collected by the veterinarian administering the antirabies
vaccine required by this chapter
and
transmitted to the county treasurer, less an administrative fee of 50¢ to
be retained by the veterinarian. This fee
shall be in addition to that provided for in Code Section 31-19-5.
(2)
If any county has no resident veterinarian, the out-of-county veterinarian
administering the antirabies vaccine and collecting the fee provided for by this
Code section shall forward to the treasurer of the county of the
dog
animal
owneŕs
residence the fee prescribed by that
countýs
governing
authority,
less the
veterinariańs
50¢ administrative fee.
(c)(1)
The county treasurer shall transmit the funds received under this Code section
to the department for deposit in the general fund of the state treasury, less a
75¢ fee to be retained by the county
treasurer.
(2)
The fees
collected
retained by
the county treasurer under this Code
section shall be used to help in paying the salary of the county rabies control
officer.
(d)
Any veterinarian administering rabies vaccine shall provide the owner of an
inoculated animal with a tag to be worn by the animal and a certificate as proof
of inoculation against rabies. The veterinarian shall transmit copies of the
rabies inoculation certificate to the rabies control officer of the county of
the animal
owneŕs
residence and to the
department."
SECTION
3.
All
laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.