§159-7  General powers.  The department,through its board, may:

(1)  Regulate, supervise, inspect, and control theslaughtering of animals and the manufacture, processing, transportation,packaging, labeling, and disposal of meat or meat products involved inintrastate commerce;

(2)  Adopt, amend, and repeal rules as are necessaryto implement this chapter, subject to chapter 91, on the following matters:

(A)  The issuance of licenses, including theclass of licenses to be issued;

(B)  The type of equipment or facilities thatmay be used in slaughtering and meat processing operations;

(C)  The internal operations of slaughterhousesand meat processing establishments;

(D)  The procedures for ante-mortem andpost-mortem inspections and the reinspection of meat or meat products used inprocessing, and the disposal of diseased carcasses and parts of carcasses andmeat or meat products found to be unwholesome or otherwise unfit for humanconsumption;

(E)  The hours of slaughtering and processing,and the conditions under which slaughtering and processing may be conducted atother than scheduled times;

(F)  The labeling and packaging of meat or meatproducts;

(G)  The storing, handling, and transportationof meat or meat products;

(H)  The sanitary conditions of allestablishments where animals are slaughtered, and where meat or meat productsare processed or prepared; and

(I)  Any other matter as may be necessary ordesirable to implement this chapter.  Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions,the board, without regard to the notice and public hearing requirements ofchapter 91, may adopt all federal meat inspection regulations, includingchanges made from time to time by the United States Secretary of Agriculture,as rules for the efficient administration of this chapter.  Prior to theeffective date of any such rules, the department shall publish in a newspaperof general circulation a notice that includes:

(i)  Either a statement of the substance of theproposed rule adoption, amendment, or repeal; or a general description of thesubjects involved and the purposes to be achieved by the proposed ruleadoption, amendment, or repeal; and

(ii)  A statement that a copy of the proposedrule to be adopted, the proposed rule amendment, or the rule proposed to berepealed will be mailed to any interested person who requests a copy, togetherwith a description of where and how the requests may be made.

The notice shall be mailed to all persons whohave made a timely written request of the department for advance notice ofthese rules or of the department's rulemaking proceedings.  The department mayrequire reimbursement for the cost of preparing and mailing the copies.

(3)  Provide for the inspection and certification ofmeat derived from exotic animals when these services are requested by producersof these products, and obtain from users of these services reimbursement forall costs incurred in the provision of these services. [L 1969, c 214, pt of§1; am L 1990, c 139, §3; am L 1991, c 88, §1; am L 1995, c 90, §2]