In addition to the definitions found in RCW 16.36.005, the following definitions apply to this chapter:

"APHIS" means the United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

"Department" means the Washington state department of agriculture.

"Director" means the director of agriculture or the director's authorized representative.

"Flock" means a number of animals of sheep or goat species that are kept, fed and herded together, and have single or multiple ownership. The term "flock" is interchangeable with the term "herd" and applies to purebred and commercial sheep and goats.

"High risk animal" means any female genetically susceptible exposed animal. The female offspring of a scrapie-positive female animal or any female genetically less susceptible exposed animal that the designated scrapie epidemiologist (with the concurrence of the USDA area veterinarian in charge, state veterinarian, regional scrapie epidemiologist, and National Scrapie Program coordinator) determines to be a potential risk based on the epidemiology of the flock, including genetics of the positive sheep, the prevalence of scrapie in the flock, any history of recurrent infection, or other characteristics.

"Official individual identification" means an identification mark or device approved by USDA-APHIS for use in the scrapie eradication program. Examples include, but are not limited to, electronic devices, official ear tags, and legible official registry tattoos.

"Scrapie" means a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy that is a fatal, nonfebrile, transmissible, insidious, degenerative disease affecting the central nervous system of sheep and goats.

"Scrapie exposed animal" means any animal that has been in the same flock at the same time within the previous 60 months as a scrapie positive animal, excluding limited contacts, as identified in the Scrapie Eradication Uniform Methods and Rules, effective June 1, 2005.

"Scrapie Flock Certification Program" means a national voluntary program for classification of flocks relative to scrapie.

"USDA" means the United States Department of Agriculture.

(1) As provided for under RCW 16.36.096, subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, owners, individuals, partnerships, corporations or other legal entities whose animals have been slaughtered or destroyed by order of the director may be eligible for indemnification in an amount not to exceed seventy-five percent of the appraised or salvage value of the animal ordered slaughtered or destroyed.

(2) Indemnity payments will be paid only to an owner of sheep or goats that were born in the state of Washington or were imported into the state in compliance with existing Washington state statutes and rules. Payment of indemnity does not apply to animals belonging to the federal government or any of its agencies, this state or any of its agencies, or any municipal corporation. Indemnity may not be paid on animals eligible for federal indemnity payments.

(1) In addition to the rules adopted in this chapter, the Washington state department of agriculture adopts the procedures and methods of Title 9, Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.), Part 54 Control of Scrapie as revised January 1, 2006, and Part 79.2 Scrapie in Sheep and Goats, Identification and Records Requirements for Sheep and Goats in Interstate Commerce, revised June 18, 2019. Copies of these documents are on file at the Washington Department of Agriculture, Animal Services Division, 1111 Washington Street, Olympia, Washington 98504 and are available for public inspection.

Except as exempted under the federal rules adopted in this section all sheep and goats that are placed into commerce must have official scrapie program identification.

(2) Title 9 C.F.R., Parts 54 and 79 may be found on the internet at https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-9/chapter-I.

(1) As provided for under RCW 16.36.090, the director may order the slaughter or destruction of animals or flocks determined by the director or representatives of USDA to be infected with scrapie.

(2) The disposal of condemned scrapie infected animals and flocks will be under the direction of the director and the means of disposal will be other than by offering for human or animal consumption.

It is unlawful for any owner to fail to report or to attempt to conceal the existence of any transmittable spongiform encephalopathy such as the disease scrapie.

(1) All sheep and goats whose raw milk or raw milk products are offered for sale must be from a flock or herd that is negative to a serological test for brucellosis within the previous 12 months. Any additions to the flock or herd must be tested negative for brucellosis within 30 days before introduction into the flock or herd.

(2) All raw milk and raw milk products from animals that test positive for brucellosis are prohibited from sale and must be destroyed.

(3) All sheep and goats whose raw milk or raw milk products are offered for sale must have official individual identification.

(1) Any herd of goats in which brucellosis reactors are found will be quarantined. Positive or reactor classification shall be based on standards listed in USDA Brucellosis Eradication Uniform Methods and Rules, effective October 1, 2003. The department maintains a copy of this document for public inspection. You may also find the information on the internet at: www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/animal_diseases/brucellosis/downloads/umr_bovine_bruc.pdf.

(2) The quarantine will be released when the entire quarantined herd has passed two consecutive negative blood tests without reactors. The first test must be not less than thirty days following removal of all reactors from the herd. The second test must not be less than ninety days nor more than one year following the date of the previous test.

(3) Goats that test positive to the brucellosis test must not be sold or offered for sale except for immediate slaughter.

(4) Quarantined goats may only be moved when accompanied by an official USDA form number VS1-27.

(1) All goats whose raw milk or raw milk products are offered for sale must be from a herd that has tested negative for tuberculosis within the previous 12 months. Any additions to the herd must be tested negative for tuberculosis within 60 days before introduction into the herd.

(2) All raw milk and raw milk products from animals that test positive for tuberculosis are prohibited from sale and must be destroyed.

(3) All goats whose raw milk or raw milk products are offered for sale must have official individual identification.

(1) Any herd of goats in which tuberculosis reactors are found will be quarantined. The sale or removal of any animal out of a quarantined herd is prohibited except for removal for immediate slaughter.

(2) Herds in which no gross lesions reactors occur and in which no evidence of Mycobacterium bovis infection has been disclosed may be released from quarantine after a sixty-day negative caudal fold tuberculosis retest of the entire herd. Herds containing one or more suspects to the caudal fold tuberculosis test will be quarantined until the suspect animals are:

(a) Retested by the comparative-cervical tuberculosis test within ten days of the caudal fold injection; or

(b) Retested by the comparative-cervical tuberculosis test after sixty days and the tuberculosis status of the suspect has been determined; or

(c) Shipped under permit directly to slaughter in accordance with state or federal laws and regulations and the tuberculosis status of the suspect has been determined.

(3) Herds in which Mycobacterium bovis infection has been confirmed and the herd has not been depopulated will remain under quarantine and must pass two tuberculin tests at intervals of at least sixty days and one additional test after six months from the previous negative test. Following the release from quarantine, these herds will also be subject to five annual tests on the entire herd.