(1) The director may adopt rules:

(a) Designating any point for mandatory inspection of cattle or horses or the furnishing of proof that cattle or horses passing or being transported through the point have been inspected or identified and are lawfully being transported;

(b) Providing for issuance of individual horse and cattle identification certificates or other means of horse and cattle identification;

(c) Designating the documents that constitute other satisfactory proof of ownership for cattle and horses. A bill of sale may not be designated as documenting satisfactory proof of ownership for cattle; and

(d) Designating when inspection certificates, certificates of permit, or other transportation documents required by law or rule must designate a physical address of a destination. Cattle and horses must be delivered or transported directly to the physical address of that destination.

(2) The director may establish a process to electronically report transactions involving cattle under RCW 16.57.450 as an alternative to the mandatory cattle inspections required by department rule adopted pursuant to this section.

(3) A self-inspection certificate may be accepted as satisfactory proof of ownership for cattle if the director determines that the self-inspection certificate, together with other available documentation, sufficiently establishes ownership. Self-inspection certificates completed after June 10, 2010, are not satisfactory proof of ownership for cattle.

(4)(a) Upon request by a milk producer licensed under chapter 15.36 RCW, the department must issue an official individual identification tag to be placed by the producer before the first point of sale on bull calves and free-martins (infertile female calves) under thirty days of age. The fee for each tag is the cost to the department for manufacture, purchase, and distribution of the tag plus the applicable beef commission assessment. As used in this subsection (4), "green tag" means the official individual identification issued by the department.

(b) Transactions involving unbranded dairy breed bull calves or free-martins (infertile female calves) not being moved or transported out of Washington are exempt from inspection requirements under this chapter only if:

(i) The animal is under thirty days old and has not been previously bought or sold;

(ii) The seller holds a valid milk producer's license under chapter 15.36 RCW;

(iii) The sale does not take place at or through a public livestock market or special sale authorized by chapter 16.65 RCW;

(iv) Each animal is officially identified as provided in (a) of this subsection; and

(v) A certificate of permit and a bill of sale listing each animal's green tag accompanies the animal to the buyer's location. These documents do not constitute proof of ownership under this chapter.

(c) All fees received under (a) of this subsection, except for the beef commission assessment, must be deposited in the animal disease traceability account in the agricultural local fund created in RCW 43.23.230.

Effective date—2006 c 156: See note following RCW 16.57.220.

Effective date—1981 c 296 s 16: "Section 16 of this amendatory act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, and safety, the support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and shall take effect immediately [May 19, 1981]." [ 1981 c 296 s 34.]

Severability—1981 c 296: See note following RCW 15.08.010.