Title XL, Agriculture, Horticulture and Animal Husbandry

When required by the commissioner with respect to establishments at which inspection is maintained under this subdivision, animals and their carcasses, parts thereof, meat and meat food products shall be prepared in establishments separate from those in which cattle, sheep, swine…

I. No person shall practice as a meat inspector in this state, except as permitted in RSA 427:2-a, without certification issued under this subdivision. The commissioner shall certify any person who receives a passing score on a meat inspector examination approved by the commissio…

I. The commissioner may direct certified meat inspectors designated by the department to periodically review registered establishments to assure that the provisions of this subdivision are complied with and that the public health, safety, and welfare are protected. II. Any period…

I. The commissioner may undertake disciplinary proceedings: (a) Upon his or her own initiative; or (b) Upon written complaint of any person which charges that an establishment or a person certified by the commissioner has committed misconduct under paragraph II and which specifie…

I. Any person, firm, or corporation, or any agent or employee of any person, firm, or corporation, who shall give, pay, or offer, directly or indirectly, to any inspector, deputy inspector, chief inspector, or any other officer or employee of this state authorized to perform any …

I. Inspection shall not be provided under RSA 427:1-16 at any establishment for the slaughter of livestock or the preparation of any carcasses or parts or products of such animals which are not intended for use as human food. II. Such articles shall, however, prior to their offer…

I. The following records shall be made available for review by an authorized designee of the commissioner: the numbers and kinds of livestock slaughtered; quantities and types of products prepared; names and addresses of the owners of the livestock; bills of sale, invoices, bills…

As used in this subdivision, except as otherwise specified, the following terms shall have the following meanings stated below: I. "Commissioner" means the commissioner of agriculture, markets, and food or his or her delegate. II. "Firm" means any partnership, association, or oth…

I. The provisions of this subdivision requiring inspection of the slaughter of animals and the preparation of the carcasses, parts thereof, meat, and meat food products at establishments conducting such operations shall not apply to: (a) The slaughtering by any person of animals …

I. No person, firm, or corporation shall engage in business, in or for commerce, as an establishment, unless, when required by rules of the commissioner, he or she has registered with the commissioner his or her name, and the address of each place of business at which, and all tr…

No person, firm, or corporation engaged in the business of buying, selling, or transporting in intrastate commerce, dead, dying, disabled, or diseased animals, or any parts of the carcasses of any animals that died otherwise than by slaughter, shall buy, sell, transport, offer fo…

I. The commissioner may for a period of time or indefinitely, as he or she deems necessary to effectuate the purposes of this subdivision, refuse to register, revoke, or suspend a registration of an establishment when he or she determines that such applicant or registrant is unfi…

Whenever any carcass, part of a carcass, meat or meat food product of livestock or any product exempted from the definition of a meat food product or any dead, dying, disabled, or deceased livestock, are found by any authorized representative of the commissioner upon any premises…

I. Any carcass, part of a carcass, meat or meat food product of livestock or any dead, dying, disabled, or diseased livestock, that are being transported in intrastate commerce, or are held for sale in this state after such transportation, shall be liable to be proceeded against …

The superior court is vested with jurisdiction specifically to enforce and to prevent and restrain violations of this subdivision, and shall have jurisdiction in all other kinds of cases arising under this subdivision, except as provided in RSA 427:7, V.

I. Any person who forcibly assaults, resists, opposes, impedes, intimidates, or interferes with any person while engaged in or on account of the performance of his or her official duties under this subdivision shall be guilty of a class B felony. II. Whoever, in the commission of…

I. Any person, firm, or corporation who violates any provision of this subdivision for which no other criminal penalty is provided shall be guilty of a misdemeanor if a natural person, or guilty of a felony if any other person. II. If such violation involves intent to defraud, or…

I. The commissioner or designee shall also have power: (a) To gather and compile information concerning, and to investigate from time to time, the organization, business, conduct, practices, and management of any person, firm, or corporation engaged in commerce, and the relation …

I. There is created within the department of agriculture, markets, and food, division of animal industry, a meat inspection program which is charged with the enforcement of this subdivision. The state veterinarian shall be the chief of said service. There is hereby established th…

I. The commissioner shall adopt rules, pursuant to RSA 541-A, relative to: (a) Procedures used in ante mortem and postmortem inspections, quarantine, segregation, and reinspections with respect to the slaughter of livestock and the preparation of meat food products at all establi…

I. Any person, firm, or corporation that shall neglect or refuse: (a) To attend and testify or to answer any lawful inquiry, or (b) To produce documentary evidence, if in his, her, or its power to do so, in obedience to the subpoena or lawful requirement of the commissioner shall…

The requirements of this subdivision shall apply to persons, firms, corporation establishments, animals, and articles regulated under the Federal Meat Inspection Act only to the extent provided for in section 408 of said federal act.

In addition to the cost of the inspection required under this subdivision, the establishment shall pay a fee to the department based on the number and species of animals slaughtered. Such fee shall be determined by the commissioner in rules adopted pursuant to RSA 541-A and shall…

The department and any person who contracts with the department who is in compliance with this subdivision, shall be held harmless from either civil or criminal liability for any decisions made in connection with this subdivision, unless found guilty of gross negligence.

I. The commissioner shall adopt rules under RSA 541-A which establish fees for the processing of the following meat producing animals: (a) No more than $50 per cow processed. (b) No more than $30 per sheep, goat, pig, deer or elk processed. (c) No more than $10 per turkey or rabb…

As used in this subdivision the following words and phrases shall be construed as follows: I. The term "slaughterer" means any person, partnership, corporation or association regularly engaged in the slaughtering of livestock; II. The term "livestock" shall include but not be lim…

On and after June 30, 1960, no slaughterer may slaughter livestock except by a humane method. No person may handle livestock in connection with slaughter, or drive or transport them to holding pens or to place of slaughter except with a minimum of excitement and discomfort. Holdi…

No person who has taken possession of a horse, ostensibly for slaughter, shall use or deliver possession of said animal for any other purpose.

Any slaughterer who violates this subdivision shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.

The commissioner of agriculture, markets, and food may administer the provisions of this subdivision, adopt such rules, pursuant to RSA 541-A, as may be necessary to carry this subdivision into effect, and approve all methods of slaughter used under the terms of this subdivision.…

As used in this subdivision: I. "Commissioner" shall mean the commissioner of agriculture, markets, and food. II. "Livestock dealer" shall mean any person, partnership, unincorporated association, or corporation engaged in the business of buying, selling or transporting livestock…

No livestock dealer shall operate such a business without first obtaining a license from the commissioner. Before being issued a license, the livestock dealer shall file with the commissioner an application for such license, giving such information as the commissioner shall requi…

For the purpose of preventing the use in commerce of meat and meat food products which are adulterated, the commissioner shall certify meat inspectors to conduct: I. An examination and inspection of all livestock before they shall be allowed to enter into any slaughtering establi…

A permit shall be issued for each truck or other conveyance used by said licensee for the transportation of livestock and so described on the application for a license. The permit shall be carried in each vehicle so described. The fee for each permit shall be as prescribed by the…

A livestock dealer licensed under this subdivision shall: I. Maintain in a clean and sanitary condition all premises, buildings and conveyances used in the business of dealing in livestock or operating a livestock auction or sales ring. II. Submit premises, buildings and conveyan…

The commissioner, after notice to the licensee and opportunity for hearing, as set forth in the rules adopted under RSA 427:44, may deny an application or revoke a license for any of the following reasons: I. That the applicant or licensee has violated the statutes of the state o…

I. Any livestock dealer who buys or sells livestock in this state or operates a livestock auction or sales ring without having a license to do so as required by this subdivision shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. II. In addition to the penalty under paragraph I, any livestock deal…

The commissioner may adopt rules, pursuant to RSA 541-A, relative to: I. The information required from an applicant for a license as a livestock dealer; II. The prescribed fee for a livestock dealer's license; III. The prescribed fee for a permit issued for each truck or conveyan…

The provisions of this subdivision relative to requiring a license shall not apply to a farmer who does not go from place to place buying or selling livestock, nor to a farmer holding an auction sale in the regular operation of his farm business.

All fees collected under the provisions of this subdivision shall be deposited with the state treasurer.

Livestock shall not be shipped or transported within this state in mixed loads unless the different kinds of stock shall be separated, each kind from the other, by strong partitions; provided that milch cows may be shipped with not more than 3 calves for one cow, and sheep may be…

Livestock shall not be transported in upper decks unless such decks are constructed with tight floors of adequate strength.

I. The provisions of RSA 427:4 shall apply to all carcasses or parts of carcasses of livestock or the meat or meat products thereof, capable of use as human food, which may be brought into any slaughtering establishment, where inspection under this subdivision is maintained. The …

Cattle which have reacted to the tuberculin or agglutination test for brucellosis or any animal or animals infected with a contagious or infectious disease or from a herd which has reacted to any test for a reportable disease shall not be shipped, transported, received for transp…

I. Whoever knowingly violates any provision of this chapter shall be guilty of a misdemeanor if a natural person, or guilty of a felony if any other person. II. In addition to the penalty under paragraph I, whoever violates any of the provisions of this chapter or rule adopted un…

The commissioner of agriculture, markets, and food, either by himself or his agents, shall have authority to enforce the provisions of this subdivision, and for that purpose may, without expense to the state, designate as his agent any officer or agent of the society for the prev…