H*3453(Rat #0678, Act #0553 of 1990)  General Bill, By R.O. Kay
 A Bill to amend Section 47-5-100, as amended, Code of Laws of South Carolina,
 1976, relating to confinement, examination, or destruction of biting or
 attacking animals for purposes of rabies control, so as to require the
 Department of Health and Environmental Control to serve notice on the owner of
 a pet other than a cat or dog which has attacked or bitten a person requiring
 the owner to have the pet euthanized and the brain submitted for rabies
 examination or quarantine the animal as directed by the Department.-amended
 title

   02/08/89  House  Introduced and read first time HJ-11
   02/08/89  House  Referred to Committee on Agriculture and Natural
                     Resources HJ-11
   04/20/89  House  Committee report: Favorable with amendment
                     Agriculture and Natural Resources HJ-15
   04/27/89  House  Amended HJ-31
   04/27/89  House  Objection by Rep. Waldrop, Manly & Sharpe HJ-33
   05/10/89  House  Objection withdrawn by Rep. Manly HJ-53
   05/10/89  House  Objection withdrawn by Rep. Sharpe HJ-54
   05/25/89  House  Amended HJ-32
   05/25/89  House  Objection by Rep. Limehouse HJ-33
   05/25/89  House  Objection by Rep. Huff HJ-42
   05/31/89  House  Objection withdrawn by Rep. Waldrop HJ-66
   06/01/89  House  Debate adjourned until June 25, 1989 HJ-82
   01/18/90  House  Read second time HJ-41
   01/23/90  House  Read third time and sent to Senate HJ-28
   01/24/90  Senate Introduced and read first time SJ-7
   01/24/90  Senate Referred to Committee on Agriculture and Natural
                     Resources SJ-7
   03/07/90  Senate Committee report: Favorable with amendment
                     Agriculture and Natural Resources SJ-22
   03/08/90  Senate Amended SJ-17
   03/08/90  Senate Read second time SJ-18
   03/13/90  Senate Read third time and returned to House with
                     amendments SJ-37
   03/21/90  House  Non-concurrence in Senate amendment HJ-39
   03/29/90  Senate Senate insists upon amendment and conference
                     committee appointed Sens. Land, Mullinax, and
                     O'Dell SJ-5
   04/04/90  House  Conference committee appointed Kay, Koon &
                     Barfield HJ-2
   05/30/90  Senate Conference report received and adopted SJ-7
   05/31/90  House  Conference report received and adopted HJ-51
   05/31/90  House  Ordered enrolled for ratification HJ-53
   06/05/90         Ratified R 678
   06/06/90         Signed By Governor
   06/06/90         Effective date 06/06/90
   06/06/90         Act No. 553
   07/25/90         Copies available

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 47-5-100, AS AMENDED, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO CONFINEMENT, EXAMINATION, OR DESTRUCTION OF BITING OR ATTACKING ANIMALS FOR PURPOSES OF RABIES CONTROL, SO AS TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL TO SERVE NOTICE ON THE OWNER OF A PET OTHER THAN A CAT OR DOG WHICH HAS ATTACKED OR BITTEN A PERSON REQUIRING THE OWNER TO HAVE THE PET EUTHANIZED AND THE BRAIN SUBMITTED FOR RABIES EXAMINATION OR QUARANTINE THE ANIMAL AS DIRECTED BY THE DEPARTMENT.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

Rabies control

SECTION 1. Section 47-5-100 of the 1976 Code, as amended by Act 547 of 1988, is further amended to read:

"Section 47-5-100. The county health department shall serve notice upon the owner of a dog or cat which has attacked or bitten a person to confine the animal at the expense of the owner upon his premises or at a county pound or other place designated in the notice for at least ten days after the animal has attacked or bitten a person. The licensed veterinarian, the rabies control officer, or his assistants must be permitted by the owner of the pet or other animal which has attacked or bitten a person to examine the animal at any time, and daily if desired, within the ten-day period of confinement, to determine if the animal shows symptoms of rabies. No person may obstruct or interfere with the rabies control officer or his assistants in making the examination. The removal of the head of an animal suspected of having rabies must be performed by a licensed veterinarian, but the county health department may provide for the removal of the head if there is no veterinarian practicing within the county where the suspected animal is located or if no veterinarian located within the county will remove the head. The Department of Health and Environmental Control shall serve notice upon the owner of an animal other than a dog or cat when the department has knowledge that the animal has attacked or bitten a person. The notice must instruct the owner to have the animal immediately euthanized and have the brain submitted for rabies examination or to have the animal quarantined under conditions specified by the department. The owner shall comply immediately with the instructions in the notice."

Time effective

SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

Approved the 6th day of June, 1990.