HB-4503, As Passed House, June 30, 2011

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SUBSTITUTE FOR

 

HOUSE BILL NO. 4503

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

     A bill to regulate facilities used for raising and hunting of

 

sporting swine; to regulate sporting swine livestock operations as

 

agricultural enterprises in this state; to provide powers and

 

duties of certain state agencies and officials; to authorize the

 

issuance of certain orders; and to prescribe penalties and provide

 

remedies.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the

 

"sporting swine marketing act".

 

     Sec. 2. As used in this act:

 

     (a) "Biosecurity" means measures, actions, or precautions

 

taken to prevent the transmission of disease in, among, or between

 

privately owned swine, livestock, wildlife, and other animals.

 

     (b) "Business plan" means a written document that defines the


 

methods, protocols, or procedures that a person intends to

 

implement for operations that are in compliance with this act.

 

     (c) "Cervidae livestock facility" means that term as defined

 

in section 2 of the privately owned cervidae producers marketing

 

act, 2000 PA 190, MCL 287.952.

 

     (d) "Department" means the department of natural resources.

 

     (e) "Director" means the director of the department or his or

 

her designee.

 

     (f) "Feral swine" means that term as it is defined in section

 

3 of the animal industry act, 1988 PA 466, MCL 287.703.

 

     (g) "Flush" or "flushed" means to move or chase wildlife from

 

a sporting swine livestock operation.

 

     (h) "Fund" means the sporting livestock fund created in

 

section 13.

 

     (i) "Law enforcement officer" means a person appointed by the

 

state or a local governmental unit who is responsible for the

 

enforcement of the criminal laws of this state.

 

     (j) "Livestock" means that term as it is defined in section 5

 

of the animal industry act, 1988 PA 466, MCL 287.705.

 

     (k) "Official identification" means that term as it is defined

 

in section 6 of the animal industry act, 1988 PA 466, MCL 287.706.

 

     (l) "Owner" means the person who owns or is responsible for a

 

sporting swine livestock operation.

 

     (m) "Person" means an individual, partnership, corporation,

 

association, governmental entity, or other legal entity.

 

     (n) "Premises identification number" means the number assigned

 

by the department of agriculture and rural development to identify


 

a sporting swine livestock operation.

 

     (o) "Qualified pseudorabies negative herd" means that term as

 

defined in 9 CFR 85.1 or a herd that is pseudorabies negative as

 

identified by the director.

 

     (p) "Registration" means a registration issued by the

 

department under section 10 authorizing the operation of a sporting

 

swine livestock operation.

 

     (q) "Release" means to allow sporting swine not under the

 

direct control of the owner to become located outside the perimeter

 

fence of a sporting swine livestock operation.

 

     (r) "Sporting swine" means members of the swine family raised

 

for the purpose of shooting or for the propagation of swine for use

 

in a sporting swine livestock operation.

 

     (s) "Sporting swine breeding operation" means an operation

 

that contains 1 or more privately owned sporting swine involving

 

the producing, growing, propagating, using, transporting,

 

exporting, importing, or marketing of sporting swine or sporting

 

swine products.

 

     (t) "Sporting swine livestock operation" means a sporting

 

swine breeding operation or a sporting swine shooting operation, or

 

both.

 

     (u) "Sporting swine products" means any products, coproducts,

 

or by-products of sporting swine, including tusks, capes, hides,

 

meat, or any part of the animal.

 

     (v) "Sporting swine shooting operation" means a privately

 

owned operation on privately controlled lands capable of holding

 

and containing sporting swine for the purpose of hunting.


 

     (w) "Validated brucellosis-free herd" means that term as

 

defined in 9 CFR 78.1 or a herd that is brucellosis-free as

 

identified by the director.

 

     Sec. 3. (1) The department shall administer this act in

 

consultation with the department of agriculture and rural

 

development.

 

     (2) The department may conduct activities designed to develop

 

and assist the sporting swine industry to comply with this act.

 

     Sec. 4. (1) A registered sporting swine livestock operation is

 

an agricultural enterprise and is considered to be part of the

 

farming and agricultural industry of this state. The department

 

shall ensure that registered sporting swine livestock operations

 

are afforded all rights, privileges, opportunities, and

 

responsibilities of other agricultural enterprises.

 

     (2) Registered sporting swine livestock operations are a form

 

of agriculture. Registered sporting swine livestock operations and

 

their equipment are considered to be agricultural facilities and

 

equipment. A registered sporting swine livestock operation is

 

considered an agricultural use.

 

     (3) Sporting swine products and sporting swine lawfully

 

produced, purchased, possessed, or acquired from within this state

 

or imported into this state are the exclusive and private property

 

of the owner.

 

     (4) Any movement, importing, or exporting of sporting swine or

 

sporting swine products shall be in compliance with the animal

 

industry act, 1988 PA 466, MCL 287.701 to 287.746, and the

 

pseudorabies and swine brucellosis control and eradication act,


 

1992 PA 239, MCL 287.801 to 287.859. In addition, a live swine

 

shall not leave a sporting swine livestock operation unless the

 

owner complies with all of the following:

 

     (a) The swine contains identification as provided in section

 

7.

 

     (b) Unless otherwise approved by the director, the swine

 

originates from a herd that meets both of the following

 

requirements:

 

     (i) Is a qualified psuedorabies negative herd.

 

     (ii) Is a validated brucellosis-free herd.

 

     (c) The swine is moving to another registered sporting swine

 

livestock operation, to a commercial or custom slaughter facility,

 

or to another location approved by the department.

 

     Sec. 5. (1) A person shall not operate a sporting swine

 

livestock operation unless he or she obtains a registration from

 

the department or unless otherwise exempt by law. A registration

 

under this act does not exempt the person or sporting swine

 

livestock operation from requirements imposed under any other

 

local, state, or federal law. A sporting swine livestock operation

 

may be operated as both a sporting swine livestock operation and a

 

cervidae livestock facility if the owner meets the applicable

 

requirements of this act and the applicable requirements of the

 

privately owned cervidae producers marketing act, 2000 PA 190, MCL

 

287.951 to 287.969. Zoos accredited under the association of zoos

 

and aquariums or other accreditations or standards determined

 

appropriate by and acceptable to the department are exempt from

 

this act.


 

     (2) Beginning 60 days after the effective date of this act, an

 

owner shall not operate a sporting swine livestock operation that

 

was in existence on the effective date of this act, unless the

 

owner has submitted an application under section 8.

 

     Sec. 6. (1) A sporting swine livestock operation shall be

 

maintained to prevent sporting swine from escaping. Fencing shall

 

be approved by the department and shall comply with all of the

 

following:

 

     (a) Fencing shall be a standard high-tensile game fence and

 

shall not contain holes larger than 4 inches by 6 inches below 2

 

feet.

 

     (b) Fencing shall be constructed with fence posts at least 4

 

inches in diameter for wood posts and 2 inches in diameter for

 

metal posts and positioned not more than 20 feet apart.

 

     (c) Fencing shall be a minimum of 10 feet high for enclosures

 

at sporting swine shooting operations.

 

     (d) Until 3 years after the effective date of this act,

 

fencing shall be a minimum of 5 feet high for enclosures at a

 

sporting swine breeding operation that was in existence on the

 

effective date of this act. For a sporting swine breeding operation

 

that begins operating after the effective date of this act and

 

beginning 3 years after the effective date of this act for all

 

sporting swine breeding operations, the following apply:

 

     (i) For an operation with a single fence, the fencing shall be

 

a minimum of 8 feet high for enclosures.

 

     (ii) For an operation with a perimeter fence that is a minimum

 

of 10 feet high at a sporting swine shooting operation and a


 

minimum of 8 feet high at a sporting swine breeding operation, an

 

interior enclosure fence shall be a minimum of 5 feet high.

 

     (e) Fencing shall be constructed in compliance with at least 1

 

of the following:

 

     (i) Be anchored to the ground with cement or by steel stakes at

 

least 24 inches belowground and placed not more than 5 feet apart.

 

     (ii) Contain skirting of at least 1.5 feet.

 

     (iii) Be buried to a depth of at least 12 inches.

 

     (iv) Contain an operational electric wire.

 

     (v) Any other methods approved by the department.

 

     (f) Each side of the fence shall be cleared of dead trees and

 

dead limbs that have potential to compromise the fence structure.

 

     (g) For a sporting swine livestock operation in existence on

 

the effective date of this act, trees, tree limbs, and brush for a

 

distance of at least 6 feet shall be cleared on at least 1 side of

 

the fence.

 

     (h) For a sporting swine livestock operation that begins

 

operating after the effective date of this act, trees, tree

 

branches, and brush shall be cleared for a distance of at least 12

 

feet on each side of the fence.

 

     (i) The fencing shall contain gates in compliance with all of

 

the following:

 

     (i) Gates shall contain cement footings or skirting.

 

     (ii) Gates shall be double-gated as approved by the department

 

or shall provide for automatic closure of the perimeter gates to

 

prevent the release of sporting swine.

 

     (iii) Gates shall be constructed of continuous woven wire or


 

structurally stronger materials and shall meet or exceed fencing

 

heights as provided in this section.

 

     (iv) Gates shall be adjusted seasonally or more often if

 

necessary to ensure that the bottom of the gate extends no higher

 

than 3 inches from the ground along the entire length.

 

     (v) Gaps between the gate and adjacent fence shall be not more

 

than 4 inches on both sides.

 

     (j) Any other requirements approved by the department.

 

     (2) The owner or owner's designee shall conduct and complete a

 

weekly inspection of fencing at a sporting swine livestock

 

operation and shall document the weekly inspection.

 

     (3) A sporting swine that escapes from a sporting swine

 

livestock operation is considered to be a feral swine. An owner

 

shall notify the department within 48 hours of discovery that a

 

sporting swine has escaped from the sporting swine livestock

 

operation. A sporting swine that escapes from a sporting swine

 

livestock operation may be killed as provided in section 4a of 1976

 

PA 328, MCL 433.14a.

 

     Sec. 7. (1) All sporting swine at a sporting swine livestock

 

operation shall have clearly visible permanent individual official

 

identification, as provided for in the animal industry act, 1988 PA

 

466, MCL 287.701 to 287.746, and shall have a second

 

identification, which may be an electronic identification tag, a

 

tattoo, or a freeze brand. However, a sporting swine shooting

 

operation that was in existence on the effective date of this act

 

has 1 year after a registration is issued for the sporting swine

 

shooting operation to comply with this requirement. All swine born


 

on a sporting swine livestock operation after the effective date of

 

this act shall have the identification described in this subsection

 

before reaching 50 pounds.

 

     (2) Feral swine shall not be captured and used in sporting

 

swine livestock operations.

 

     (3) A person registered under this act to operate a sporting

 

swine livestock operation shall keep and maintain records of

 

production, purchases, imports, or exports necessary to establish

 

proof of ownership. A person transporting sporting swine shall

 

produce documentation that contains the origin of shipment,

 

registration or registration copies or documentation, documentation

 

demonstrating shipping destination, and any other proof that may be

 

required under the animal industry act, 1988 PA 466, MCL 287.701 to

 

287.746, or the pseudorabies and swine brucellosis control and

 

eradication act, 1992 PA 239, MCL 287.801 to 287.859, upon request

 

of the department or a law enforcement officer. An owner shall keep

 

records of all disease testing, sporting swine harvested, and all

 

purchases of sporting swine, including dates of sale and the names

 

and addresses of purchasers. Records shall be kept by the owner for

 

a minimum of 7 years. Records of the number of animals bought,

 

sold, killed on a sporting swine shooting operation, or died a

 

natural death shall be sent to the department quarterly. An owner

 

may submit this information to the department electronically.

 

     (4) Viscera and other body parts from a sporting swine

 

livestock operation shall be disposed of in accordance with 1982 PA

 

239, MCL 287.651 to 287.683.

 

     Sec. 8. (1) A person that wishes to obtain a sporting swine


House Bill No. 4503 (H-6) as amended June 30, 2011

 

livestock operation registration under this act shall submit an

 

application to the department accompanied by a registration fee and

 

a preregistration inspection fee as provided for in section 12. The

 

owner of a sporting swine livestock operation that was in existence

 

on the effective date of this act may submit an application under

 

this section beginning on the effective date of this act. An

 

application for a new sporting swine livestock operation may be

 

submitted beginning 60 days after the effective date of this act.

 

     (2) As part of the application under subsection (1), the

 

applicant shall submit a business plan that complies with this act

 

and includes all of the following:

 

     (a) The complete address of the proposed sporting swine

 

livestock operation, which shall be located on contiguous land,

 

including the size, location, and legal description of the land

 

upon which the sporting swine livestock operation will be

 

conducted. For purposes of this subdivision, "contiguous" means

 

land that touches at any point. The existence of a public or

 

private road, a railroad, or a utility right-of-way that separates

 

any part of the land does not make the land noncontiguous.

 

     (b) A proposed site plan for the sporting swine livestock

 

operation including the proposed size and location of each

 

enclosure at the operation.

 

     (c) Whether the sporting swine livestock operation will

 

include a sporting swine breeding operation or a sporting swine

 

shooting operation, or both. [If the applicant requests to have both a

sporting swine breeding operation and a sporting swine shooting operation at the same sporting swine livestock operation, the department shall issue each enclosure a unique registration number but shall not require additional registration or inspection fees.]

 

     (d) Biosecurity measures to be utilized, including, but not

 

limited to, a disease surveillance plan, fencing, and appropriate


 

animal identification as provided in section 7.

 

     (e) The proposed method of flushing wild cervidae species from

 

enclosures, unless the sporting swine livestock operation is

 

currently registered as a cervidae livestock facility.

 

     (f) A proposed record-keeping system.

 

     (g) The current zoning of the property proposed as a sporting

 

swine livestock operation and whether the local unit or units of

 

government within which the sporting swine livestock operation will

 

be located have an ordinance regarding fences and whether the

 

proposed facility would be in violation of that ordinance, unless

 

the same property is currently registered as a cervidae livestock

 

facility. If a variance from an ordinance has been granted or is

 

being considered, the applicant shall include this information in

 

the application.

 

     (3) The application submitted under subsection (1) shall

 

include a place where the applicant can check a box acknowledging

 

that the person carries liability coverage for bodily harm or

 

property damage in an amount not less than $1,000,000.00 per

 

occurrence exclusive of legal defense costs for bodily injury and

 

property damage to third parties caused by the release of sporting

 

swine from the person's sporting swine livestock operation. In lieu

 

of insurance under this subsection, a person may acknowledge that

 

the person maintains a financial mechanism approved by the

 

department that will provide the same level of financial

 

responsibility as an insurance policy. Upon request, the person

 

shall provide to the department proof of insurance or other

 

financial responsibility.


 

     (4) The department shall process applications received under

 

this section in the order that they are received by the department.

 

Notwithstanding any other provision of this act, a sporting swine

 

livestock operation that was in existence on the effective date of

 

this act may continue in operation during the application process

 

until the department makes a decision on an application under this

 

section.

 

     (5) Upon receipt of an application for a sporting swine

 

livestock operation that will be constructed after the effective

 

date of this act, the department shall forward a copy to the

 

department of agriculture and rural development. The department

 

shall also send a written notice to the local unit or units of

 

government within which the proposed sporting swine livestock

 

operation will be located unless the proposed sporting swine

 

livestock operation is registered as a cervidae livestock facility

 

or the department determines, from information provided in the

 

application, that the local unit of government has a zoning

 

ordinance under which the land is zoned agricultural. The local

 

unit or units of government may respond, within 30 days after

 

receipt of the written notice, indicating whether the applicant's

 

proposed sporting swine livestock operation would be in violation

 

of a currently existing ordinance. If the proposed sporting swine

 

livestock operation would be in violation of an ordinance, the

 

applicant shall obtain a variance from the local unit of

 

government. Failure to obtain a variance voids the application.

 

     (6) Except as provided in subsection (9), within 60 days after

 

receiving an application under this section, the department shall


 

approve the application for a sporting swine livestock operation if

 

all of the following are met:

 

     (a) The owner agrees to meet the requirements of this act and

 

comply with the business plan submitted to the department.

 

     (b) The disease surveillance plan within the business plan

 

includes the following, as applicable:

 

     (i) For a sporting swine shooting operation, ongoing testing

 

for pseudorabies virus and brucellosis using a 95/10 sampling

 

methodology or as otherwise determined by the director.

 

     (ii) For a sporting swine breeding operation, testing to

 

maintain qualified pseudorabies negative herd status and validated

 

swine brucellosis-free herd status or as otherwise determined by

 

the director.

 

     (c) The property on which the sporting swine livestock

 

operation is located or is proposed to be located is not within

 

deer management unit number 452 identified on the 2010 deer

 

management unit map published by the department, unless the owner

 

has a verified wildlife risk mitigation plan. As used in this

 

subdivision, "verified wildlife risk mitigation plan" means a

 

written plan that contains structural and management requirements

 

intended to reduce the risk that a herd will become infected with

 

bovine tuberculosis that has been approved by the department and

 

verified by regulatory personnel to be in effect.

 

     (d) The property on which the sporting swine livestock

 

operation is located or is proposed to be located is not under a

 

quarantine under the animal industry act, 1988 PA 466, MCL 287.701

 

to 287.746.


 

     (e) The department has approved a site plan for the operation

 

under section 9. This subdivision does not apply to an operation

 

that is a registered cervidae livestock facility under the

 

privately owned cervidae producers marketing act, 2000 PA 190, MCL

 

287.951 to 287.969.

 

     (f) There are fewer than 65 sporting swine livestock

 

operations in the state with an approved application or

 

registration.

 

     (7) Within 60 days after receiving an application, if the

 

department determines that the applicant has not met the

 

requirements of subsection (6), the department shall deny the

 

application. Upon receipt of a denial under this section and

 

without filing a second application, the applicant may request in

 

writing and, if requested, the department shall provide an informal

 

department review of the application. The review shall include

 

input from the applicant, the department, and the department of

 

agriculture and rural development, if applicable. Within 30 days

 

after receiving a request for an informal review, the department

 

shall do either of the following:

 

     (a) If the department determines that the proposed sporting

 

swine livestock operation complies with the requirements of

 

subsection (6), the department shall approve the application.

 

     (b) If the department determines that the proposed sporting

 

swine livestock operation does not comply with the requirements of

 

subsection (6), the department shall affirm the denial of the

 

application in writing and specify the deficiencies needed to be

 

addressed or corrected in order for an approved application to be


 

issued. If the deficiencies are not addressed or corrected to the

 

department's satisfaction, the denial stands as the decision of the

 

department. If an application is denied under this section, the

 

applicant may not submit an application under this act for at least

 

4 years from the date of the affirmation of denial under this

 

subdivision.

 

     (8) Subject to section 10, an approved application issued

 

under this section is valid for 3 years from the date of approval

 

unless an extension is granted by the department. An approved

 

application authorizes the construction of a sporting swine

 

livestock operation, but for operations not in existence on the

 

effective date of this act, does not authorize the sporting swine

 

livestock operation to be populated with sporting swine.

 

     (9) The department shall not approve an application under this

 

section for a person that is convicted of a felony under this act

 

or the privately owned cervidae producers marketing act, 2000 PA

 

190, MCL 287.951 to 287.969.

 

     Sec. 9. Upon receipt of an application for registration of a

 

sporting swine livestock operation under section 8, the department

 

shall review the proposed site plan contained in the application.

 

Within 30 days after receiving the application, the department

 

shall do either of the following:

 

     (a) Approve the proposed site plan if it determines that the

 

proposed size and location of the enclosures will not place

 

unreasonable stress on wildlife habitat or migration corridors.

 

     (b) Disapprove the proposed site plan if it determines that

 

the proposed site plan does not meet the conditions under


 

subdivision (a) and specify the reasons for its determination.

 

     Sec. 10. (1) Within 6 months after the effective date of this

 

act, a sporting swine livestock operation that was in existence on

 

the effective date of this act shall come into compliance with this

 

act and shall submit to the department, in writing, a request for

 

an inspection. For a sporting swine livestock operation that was

 

not in existence on the effective date of this act, following

 

construction of the sporting swine livestock operation in

 

compliance with an approved application, the applicant shall submit

 

to the department in writing a request for an inspection.

 

     (2) Within 30 days after receipt of a request for an

 

inspection under subsection (1), the department shall inspect the

 

sporting swine livestock operation. If the department determines

 

that the sporting swine livestock operation complies with this act,

 

the department shall issue a registration within 30 days after

 

completion of an inspection.

 

     (3) If, following an inspection, the department determines

 

that a proposed sporting swine livestock operation does not comply

 

with the requirements of this act, the department shall deny the

 

issuance of a registration. The department shall notify in writing

 

an applicant of the reasons for a registration denial within 30

 

days after completion of the inspection. The notice shall specify

 

in writing the deficiencies to be corrected in order for a

 

registration to be issued.

 

     (4) If the department denies the issuance of a registration

 

under subsection (3), the person may request a second inspection

 

after the specified deficiencies have been corrected. The


 

department is not required to make more than 2 preregistration

 

inspections of the same proposed sporting swine livestock operation

 

per application.

 

     (5) Upon receipt of a second denial under this section and

 

without filing a second application, the person may request in

 

writing and, if requested, the department shall provide an informal

 

department review of the denial of registration. The review shall

 

include input from the applicant, the department, and the

 

department of agriculture and rural development, if applicable.

 

After the informal department review, the department shall do

 

either of the following:

 

     (a) If the department determines that the sporting swine

 

livestock operation complies with the requirements of this act, the

 

department shall issue a registration within 30 days after the

 

informal department review.

 

     (b) If the department determines that the sporting swine

 

livestock operation does not comply with the requirements of this

 

act, the department shall affirm the denial of registration in

 

writing and specify the deficiencies needed to be addressed or

 

corrected in order for a registration to be issued.

 

     (6) A person denied registration may request a hearing

 

pursuant to the administrative procedures act of 1969, 1969 PA 306,

 

MCL 24.201 to 24.328, on a denial of a registration or upon any

 

limitations placed upon the issuance of a registration.

 

     (7) A registration issued by the department under this section

 

is valid for a 3-year time period. During the registration period,

 

the owner shall maintain an insurance policy or other financial


 

mechanism described in section 8(3).

 

     Sec. 11. A registration issued by the department shall contain

 

all of the following information:

 

     (a) The expiration date of the registration.

 

     (b) The complete name, business name, business address, and

 

telephone number of the owner.

 

     (c) The complete address of the sporting swine livestock

 

operation location.

 

     (d) The premises identification number. If the property has

 

not previously been issued a premises identification number, the

 

department of agriculture and rural development shall assign one to

 

the premises.

 

     (e) The complete name, address, and telephone number of the

 

department contact person regarding sporting swine livestock

 

operations.

 

     Sec. 12. (1) The department shall charge the following

 

nonrefundable fees for sporting swine livestock operations:

 

     (a) An annual registration fee of $2,500.00. The initial

 

annual registration fee shall be submitted with the application for

 

registration under section 8 or the application for renewal of a

 

registration under section 14. Annual registration fees during the

 

second and third years of a registration are due on the anniversary

 

of the date the registration was issued.

 

     (b) A preregistration inspection fee of $1,000.00.

 

     (c) For a second preregistration inspection of a sporting

 

swine operation, $500.00.

 

     (d) For inspections of sporting swine operations conducted by


 

the department in the second and third years of the 3-year

 

registration term, $1,000.00 for each inspection.

 

     (2) The department shall forward all fees collected under this

 

section to the state treasurer for deposit into the fund.

 

     Sec. 13. (1) The sporting livestock fund is created within the

 

state treasury.

 

     (2) The state treasurer may receive money or other assets from

 

any source for deposit into the fund. The state treasurer shall

 

direct the investment of the fund. The state treasurer shall credit

 

to the fund interest and earnings from fund investments.

 

     (3) Money in the fund at the close of the fiscal year shall

 

remain in the fund and shall not lapse to the general fund.

 

     (4) The department shall be the administrator of the fund for

 

auditing purposes.

 

     (5) Money from the fund shall be expended, upon appropriation,

 

only to administer this act and the privately owned cervidae

 

producers marketing act, 2000 PA 190, MCL 287.951 to 287.969.

 

     Sec. 14. (1) The department shall establish an expedited

 

process for renewal of a registration under this act. An

 

application for renewal of a registration shall be submitted not

 

later than 60 days before expiration of the current registration,

 

accompanied by the registration fee provided for in section 12. The

 

department shall make a decision on an application for renewal of a

 

registration under this subsection prior to the expiration of the

 

current registration.

 

     (2) An application for renewal of a registration submitted

 

later than 60 days before expiration of the current registration


 

shall require submission of an application under section 8. Failure

 

of the department to process an application for renewal of a

 

registration that was submitted in a timely and complete manner

 

operates to extend the current registration until such time as the

 

department completes the processing.

 

     (3) There is a presumption that the department shall renew the

 

registration upon timely submission of the completed application

 

for renewal of a registration and registration fee.

 

     (4) If the owner of a sporting swine livestock operation

 

intends to transfer his or her registration to a person, the owner

 

shall provide to the department a written notice of the proposed

 

transfer containing the name, address, and telephone number of the

 

transferee and the proposed date of transfer. The notice of

 

proposed transfer shall be accompanied by a nonrefundable

 

registration transfer fee of $250.00. Within 30 days after receipt

 

of a notice of proposed transfer, the department shall review

 

whether the proposed transferee is eligible to receive a

 

registration under section 8(8). If the proposed transferee is

 

eligible to receive a registration, the department shall approve

 

the transfer and issue to the transferee a registration under

 

section 11. However, the term of the registration shall not be

 

extended from the term provided in the registration being

 

transferred.

 

     Sec. 15. (1) The owner of a sporting swine livestock operation

 

shall apply for a modification of his or her registration before

 

any change in the activities for which the registration is issued.

 

An application for a modification of a registration shall be


 

submitted in the same manner as an application for registration

 

under section 8.

 

     (2) The owner of a sporting swine livestock operation may

 

submit a request to the department for decommissioning of a

 

sporting swine livestock operation. Upon receipt of a request under

 

this subsection, the department shall approve a request for

 

decommissioning, after conducting an inspection, as long as it is

 

conducted in a manner that does not create a risk to the

 

environment and other free-ranging animals and to domestic

 

livestock.

 

     Sec. 16. The department shall enter into a memorandum of

 

understanding with the director of the department of agriculture

 

and rural development containing a process for disease testing at

 

sporting swine livestock operations.

 

     Sec. 17. (1) The owner shall grant the department or its

 

authorized agent access at all reasonable hours to any sporting

 

swine livestock operation to inspect and to determine if this act

 

is being violated and to secure samples or specimens of any

 

sporting swine. An inspection shall be conducted under practices

 

designed not to jeopardize the health of the sporting swine.

 

     (2) A sporting swine livestock operation shall be inspected

 

annually. An owner may contract with individuals who have been

 

certified by the department to conduct an inspection during the

 

second and third years of the term of a registration of a sporting

 

swine livestock operation to confirm compliance with the

 

requirements of this act and other requirements of law. The

 

department shall not certify an individual to conduct inspections


 

under this act who is an owner, an operator, or an employee of a

 

sporting swine livestock operation.

 

     Sec. 18. A person shall not knowingly provide false

 

information in a matter pertaining to this act and shall not

 

resist, impede, or hinder the department in the discharge of its

 

duties under this act.

 

     Sec. 19. (1) The department, upon finding that a person has

 

violated any provision of this act, may do any of the following:

 

     (a) Issue a warning.

 

     (b) Impose an administrative fine of not more than $1,000.00,

 

plus the costs of investigation, for each violation after notice

 

and an opportunity for a hearing. A person aggrieved by an

 

administrative fine issued under this section may request a hearing

 

pursuant to the administrative procedures act of 1969, 1969 PA 306,

 

MCL 24.201 to 24.328.

 

     (c) Issue an appearance ticket as described and authorized by

 

sections 9a to 9g of chapter IV of the code of criminal procedure,

 

1927 PA 175, MCL 764.9a to 764.9g.

 

     (d) Place a quarantine upon the sporting swine livestock

 

operation disallowing any movement of animals until certain

 

requirements imposed by the department are met.

 

     (2) The department shall advise the attorney general of the

 

failure of any person to pay an administrative fine imposed under

 

this section. The attorney general shall bring a civil action in a

 

court of competent jurisdiction to recover the fine. Administrative

 

fines collected shall be paid to the fund.

 

     (3) Notwithstanding any other provision of this act, the


 

department may bring an action to do either or both of the

 

following:

 

     (a) Obtain a declaratory judgment that a method, activity, or

 

practice is a violation of this act.

 

     (b) Obtain an injunction against a person who is engaging in a

 

method, activity, or practice that violates this act.

 

     (4) The remedies under this act are cumulative, and use of 1

 

remedy does not bar the use of another unless otherwise prohibited

 

by law.

 

     Sec. 20. (1) After an opportunity for an administrative

 

hearing, the department may deny, suspend, revoke, or limit a

 

registration if the registrant fails to comply with this act.

 

     (2) Except in the case of an informal departmental review, the

 

department shall conduct an administrative proceeding under this

 

act pursuant to the administrative procedures act of 1969, 1969 PA

 

306, MCL 24.201 to 24.328.

 

     Sec. 21. Except as otherwise provided in section 22, a person

 

that violates this act is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by

 

imprisonment for not less than 30 days or more than 90 days or a

 

fine of not less than $300.00 or more than $1,000.00, or both.

 

     Sec. 22. (1) A person shall not release or allow the release

 

of any sporting swine or damage a fence or gate in such a manner

 

that may allow the release of any sporting swine.

 

     (2) An owner shall not abandon a registered sporting swine

 

livestock operation without first notifying the department.

 

     (3) A person shall not intentionally or knowingly cause the

 

ingress of feral swine into a sporting swine livestock operation.


 

     (4) A person violating subsection (1) or (2) is guilty of a

 

misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more than 90 days or

 

a fine of not more than $500.00, or both, for a first offense and

 

is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more

 

than 1 year or a fine of not more than $2,000.00, or both, for a

 

second or subsequent offense. This subsection does not apply to a

 

person that unintentionally allows the release of a sporting swine,

 

if the person reports the release to the department within 48 hours

 

and kills the sporting swine within 48 hours.

 

     (5) Notwithstanding subsection (4), a person who intentionally

 

or knowingly violates subsection (1) or (2) or who violates

 

subsection (3) is guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment for

 

not more than 4 years or a fine of not more than $50,000.00, or

 

both.

 

     (6) A court may allow the department to recover reasonable

 

costs and attorney fees incurred in a prosecution resulting in a

 

conviction for a violation of this act.

 

     (7) This section does not prohibit the sale, breeding,

 

marketing, exhibition, or other approved uses of sporting swine in

 

the manner provided for by law.

 

     Sec. 23. (1) Not later than 2 years after the effective date

 

of this act, and again not later than 4 years after the effective

 

date of this act, the department, in consultation with the

 

department of agriculture and rural development, shall submit to

 

the legislature a report that includes all of the following:

 

     (a) The number of registered sporting swine livestock

 

operations in this state.


 

     (b) The number of new sporting swine livestock operations in

 

this state that began operating after the effective date of this

 

act.

 

     (c) The number of known releases from sporting swine livestock

 

operations in this state.

 

     (d) The number of sporting swine at sporting swine livestock

 

operations in this state that have been found to be positive for a

 

reportable disease under the animal industry act, 1988 PA 466, MCL

 

287.701 to 287.746.

 

     (e) The number of violations of this act and the nature of

 

those violations, including the number of registrations that have

 

been suspended or revoked.

 

     (f) The department's determination as to whether the fees

 

provided in this act are sufficient to carry out the department's

 

responsibilities under this act.

 

     (g) The department's recommendations for changes to this act.

 

     (h) Other information the department considers relevant.

 

     (2) The reports submitted under subsection (1) shall be

 

submitted electronically.

 

     Enacting section 1. This act does not take effect unless all

 

of the following bills of the 96th Legislature are enacted into

 

law:

 

     (a) House Bill No. 4504.

 

     (b) House Bill No. 4505.

 

     (c) House Bill No. 4506.

 

     (d) House Bill No. 4699.