An act to add Chapter 4.5 (commencing with Section 14400) to Division 7 of the Food and Agricultural Code, relating to livestock.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:


SECTION 1.
Chapter 4.5 (commencing with Section 14400) is added to Division 7 of the Food and Agricultural Code, to read:
CHAPTER  4.5. Livestock: Use of Antimicrobial Drugs
14400.
For purposes of this chapter, the following definitions apply:
(a) “Medically important antimicrobial drug” means an antimicrobial drug listed in Appendix A of the federal Food and Drug Administration’s Guidance for Industry #152, including critically important, highly important, and important antimicrobial drugs, as that appendix may be amended.
(b) “Livestock” means all animals and poultry, including aquatic and amphibian species, that are raised, kept, or used for profit. Livestock does not include bees or those species that are usually kept as pets, such as dogs, cats, and pet birds.
(c) “Veterinary feed directive” has the same definition as in Section 558.3 of Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
14401.
Beginning January 1, 2018, a medically important antimicrobial drug shall not be administered to livestock unless ordered by a licensed veterinarian through a prescription or veterinary feed directive, pursuant to a veterinarian-client-patient relationship that meets the requirements of Section 2032.1 of Title 16 of the California Code of Regulations.
14402.
(a) Beginning January 1, 2018, a medically important antimicrobial drug may be used when, in the professional judgment of a licensed veterinarian, the medically important antimicrobial drug is any of the following:
(1) Necessary to treat a disease or infection.
(2) Necessary to control the spread of a disease or infection.
(3) Necessary in relation to surgery or a medical procedure.
(b) A medically important antimicrobial drug may also be used when, in the professional judgment of a licensed veterinarian, it is needed for prophylaxis to address an elevated risk of contraction of a particular disease or infection.
(c) A person shall not administer a medically important antimicrobial drug to livestock solely for purposes of promoting weight gain or improving feed efficiency.
(d) Unless the administration is consistent with subdivision (a), a person shall not administer a medically important antimicrobial drug in a regular pattern.
14403.
(a) Notwithstanding Sections 14401 and 14402 of this code and Article 15 (commencing with Section 4196) of Chapter 9 of Division 2 of the Business and Professions Code, medically important antimicrobial drugs may be sold by retailers licensed pursuant to Article 5 (commencing with Section 14321) of Chapter 4 of Division 7 with a prescription or veterinary feed directive from a licensed veterinarian.
(b) This section shall not be construed to invalidate the requirement to obtain a prescription or veterinary feed directive to administer a medically important antimicrobial drug as required by Section 14401.
(c) The department may promulgate regulations to implement this section.
14404.
(a) The department, in consultation with the Veterinary Medical Board, the State Department of Public Health, universities, and cooperative extensions, shall develop antimicrobial stewardship guidelines and best management practices for veterinarians, as well as livestock owners and their employees who are involved with administering medically important antimicrobial drugs, on the proper use of medically important antimicrobial drugs for disease treatment, control, and prevention. The guidelines shall include scientifically validated practical alternatives to the use of medically important antimicrobial drugs, including, but not limited to, the introduction of effective vaccines and good hygiene and management practices.
(b) The department shall consult with livestock producers, licensed veterinarians, and any other relevant stakeholders on ensuring livestock timely access to treatment for producers in rural areas with limited access to veterinary care.
(c) For purposes of this section, “antimicrobial stewardship” is a commitment to do all of the following:
(1) To use medically important antimicrobial drugs only when necessary to treat, control, and, in some cases, prevent, disease.
(2) To select the appropriate medically important antimicrobial drug and the appropriate dose, duration, and route of administration.
(3) To use medically important antimicrobial drugs for the shortest duration necessary and to administer them to the fewest animals necessary.
14405.
(a) It is the intent of the Legislature that the department coordinate with the United States Department of Agriculture, the federal Food and Drug Administration, and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to implement the expanded antimicrobial resistance surveillance efforts included in the National Action Plan for Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria, and that the information gathered through this effort will help lead to a better understanding of the links between antimicrobial use patterns in livestock and the development of antimicrobial resistant bacterial infections.
(b) (1) The department shall gather information on medically important antimicrobial drug sales and usage, as well as antimicrobial resistant bacteria and livestock management practice data. Monitoring efforts shall not be duplicative of the National Animal Health Monitoring System and the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System, and, to the extent feasible, the department shall coordinate with the United States Department of Agriculture, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the federal Food and Drug Administration in the development of these efforts.
(2) In coordinating with the National Animal Health Monitoring System and the National Antimicrobial Resistant Monitoring System, the department shall gather representative samples from all of the following:
(A) California’s major livestock segments.
(B) Regions with considerable livestock production.
(C) Representative segments of the food production chain.
(c) The department shall work with willing participants to gather samples and shall consult with, and conduct outreach to, livestock producers, licensed veterinarians, and any other relevant stakeholders on the implementation of the monitoring efforts. Participation in this effort shall be done in a manner that does not breach veterinary-client-patient confidentiality laws.
(d) (1) The department shall report to the Legislature by January 1, 2019, the results of its outreach activities and monitoring efforts. The department shall advise the Legislature as to whether or not participation is sufficient to provide statistically relevant data. The report shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.
(2) This subdivision is inoperative on January 1, 2023, pursuant to Section 10231.5 of the Government Code.
(e) The department shall seek funds from federal, state, and other sources to implement this section.
(f) The department may promulgate regulations to implement this section.
14406.
The department has the authority to request and receive copies of veterinary feed directives from the livestock owner, veterinarian, or distributor to fully implement the provisions of this chapter.
14407.
Notwithstanding the California Public Records Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 6250) of Division 7 of Title 1 of the Government Code), any information provided pursuant to this chapter and Section 14902.5, if that section is added by Senate Bill 770 of the 2015–16 Regular Session of the Legislature, shall be held confidential, and shall not be disclosed to any person or governmental agency, other than the department or the Veterinary Medical Board, for the purposes of enforcing the Veterinary Medicine Practice Act (Chapter 11 (commencing with Section 4800) of Division 2 of the Business and Professions Code), unless the data is aggregated to prevent the identification of an individual farm or business. Information may be shared with federal agencies so long as it is protected by the federal Confidential Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act of 2002 (Public Law 107-347).
14408.
(a) A person who violates this chapter shall be liable for a civil penalty of not more than two hundred and fifty dollars ($250) for each day a violation occurs.
(b) (1) For a second or subsequent violation, a person who violates this chapter shall be punishable by an administrative fine, levied by the secretary, in the amount of five hundred dollars ($500) for each day a violation occurs.
(2) In addition to the administrative fine, the violator shall attend an educational program on the judicious use of medically important antimicrobial drugs that has been approved by the secretary. The violator shall successfully complete the program and provide proof to the secretary within 90 days from the occurrence of the violation.
(c) Subdivisions (a) and (b) do not apply to licensed veterinarians. If the Veterinary Medical Board determines that a veterinarian is in violation of the Veterinary Medicine Practice Act (Chapter 11 (commencing with Section 4800) of Division 2 of the Business and Professions Code), the veterinarian may be subject to disciplinary sanctions pursuant to the act.
(d) The moneys collected pursuant to this article shall be deposited into the Department of Food and Agriculture Fund and shall be available for expenditure upon appropriation by the Legislature.
SEC. 2.
The Legislature finds and declares that Section 1 of this act, which adds Section 14407 to the Food and Agricultural Code, imposes a limitation on the public’s right of access to the meetings of public bodies or the writings of public officials and agencies within the meaning of Section 3 of Article I of the California Constitution. Pursuant to that constitutional provision, the Legislature makes the following findings to demonstrate the interest protected by this limitation and the need for protecting that interest:
In order to ensure the confidentiality of the information collected pursuant to this act and the integrity of that information for regulatory and enforcement purposes, it is necessary that this act take effect.

Summary: (1) Existing law regulates the distribution and use of livestock drugs, as defined, by the Secretary of Food and Agriculture. Existing law also requires a person to obtain a license from the secretary to manufacture, sell, distribute, or store commercial feed, including commercial feed containing drugs.
This bill would, beginning January 1, 2018, prohibit the administration of medically important antimicrobial drugs, as defined, to livestock unless ordered by a licensed veterinarian through a prescription or veterinary feed directive pursuant to a veterinarian-client-patient relationship, as specified, and would prohibit the administration of a medically important antimicrobial drug to livestock solely for purposes of promoting weight gain or improving feed efficiency. The bill would require the Department of Food and Agriculture, in consultation with the Veterinary Medical Board, the State Department of Public Health, universities, and cooperative extensions, to develop antimicrobial stewardship guidelines and best management practices on the proper use of medically important antimicrobial drugs and would require the department to gather information on medically important antimicrobial drug sales and usage, antimicrobial resistant bacteria, and livestock management practice data. The bill would require information provided pursuant to those provisions to be held confidential, as specified. The bill would authorize the department to request and receive copies of veterinary feed directives from certain persons to implement the bill’s provisions. The bill would make a first violation of the bill’s provisions subject to a civil penalty of up to $250 for each day a violation occurs, and would make second and subsequent violations subject to an administrative fine of $500 for each day a violation occurs, except as specified.
(2) Existing constitutional provisions require that a statute that limits the right of access to the meetings of public bodies or the writings of public officials and agencies be adopted with findings demonstrating the interest protected by the limitation and the need for protecting that interest.
This bill would make legislative findings to that effect.