Source: https://www.animallaw.info/statute/ne-horse-slaughter-article-19-meat-and-poultry-inspection-nebraska-meat-and-poultry
Timestamp: 2019-04-21 09:03:49+00:00

Document:
Sections 54-1901 to 54-1915 may be cited as the Nebraska Meat and Poultry Inspection Law.
Laws 1969, ch. 449, § 1, p. 1502.
(34) Reinspection shall include inspection of the preparation of livestock products and poultry products, as well as reexamination of articles previously inspected.
Laws 1969, ch. 449, § 2, p. 1502; Laws 1981, LB 487, § 42; Laws 1991, LB 358, § 5; Laws 1993, LB 121, § 346; Laws 1994, LB 884, § 73; Laws 1997, LB 199, § 2; Laws 2003, LB 160, § 12.
The intent of sections 54-1901 to 54-1915 is to assure that only wholesome meat and poultry products enter regular commercial channels of commerce and to provide that same are identified and truthfully labeled. The director is designated as the administrator of sections 54-1901 to 54-1915 and the department is designated as the administrative state agency.
Laws 1969, ch. 449, § 3, p. 1507.
Laws 1969, ch. 449, § 4, p. 1507; Laws 1982, LB 928, § 43; Laws 1983, LB 617, § 11; Laws 1988, LB 352, § 98; Laws 1997, LB 752, § 137; Laws 2016, LB 909, § 9, eff. July 21, 2016.
Laws 1969, ch. 449, § 5, p. 1508; Laws 1988, LB 352, § 99.
Laws 1969, ch. 449, § 6, p. 1508; Laws 1981, LB 487, § 43; Laws 2003, LB 160, § 13.
(2) Any persons who engage in or for intrastate commerce in the business of rendering, pet feed manufacturing, buying, selling, storing, or transporting any wholesome or dead, dying, disabled or diseased livestock or poultry, or parts of the carcasses of any such livestock or poultry which died either by slaughter or otherwise.
Laws 1969, ch. 449, § 7, p. 1510.
Laws 1969, ch. 449, § 8, p. 1510.
(16) Willfully make, or cause to be made, any false entry or statement of fact in any report required to be made under sections 54-1901 to 54-1915 or regulations thereunder, or willfully make, or cause to be made, any false entry in any account, record or memorandum kept by any person subject to sections 54-1901 to 54-1915 or willfully neglect or fail to make or to cause to be made, full, true, and correct entries in such accounts, records, or memoranda, of all facts and transactions appertaining to the business of such person or that shall willfully remove out of the jurisdiction of this state, or willfully mutilate, alter, or by any other means falsify any documentary evidence of any person subject to sections 54-1901 to 54-1915 or to willfully refuse to submit to the director or to any of his authorized agents, for the purpose of inspection and taking copies, any documentary evidence of any person subject to sections 54-1901 to 54-1915 in his possession or within his control; or for any inspector to make public any information obtained by the director, under the authority granted by sections 54-1901 to 54-1915, without first securing his authority to do so, unless directed by a court to divulge such information.
Laws 1969, ch. 449, § 9, p. 1513.
No inspection of products placed in any container at any official establishment shall be deemed to be complete until the products are sealed or enclosed therein under the supervision of an inspector.
Laws 1969, ch. 499, § 10, p. 1516.
Whenever any livestock product or poultry product or any product exempted from the definition of a livestock product and from the definition of a poultry product, or any dead, dying, disabled, or diseased livestock or poultry, is found by any authorized representative of the director upon any premises where it is held for purposes of distribution, or during or after distribution, in intrastate commerce or is otherwise subject to sections 54-1901 to 54-1915, and the authorized representative or inspector has reason to believe that any such article is adulterated or misbranded and is capable of use as human food, or that it has not been inspected and fails to bear an official mark or is otherwise in violation of the provisions of sections 54-1901 to 54-1915 or of the federal acts or the Nebraska Pure Food Act, or that such article or animal has been or is intended to be distributed in violation of any such provisions, it may be seized and embargoed by such representative or inspector for a period not to exceed twenty days, pending action under section 54-1912 or notification of any federal authorities having jurisdiction over such article or animal, and shall not be moved by any person from the place at which it is located when so seized or embargoed until released by an inspector or representative of the department or by an order of a court having jurisdiction. All official marks may be required by such representative or inspector to be removed from such article or animal before it is released unless it appears to the satisfaction of the director that the article or animal is eligible to retain such mark or marks.
Laws 1969, ch. 449, § 11, p. 1516; Laws 1981, LB 487, § 44.
Any livestock product or poultry product or any dead, dying, disabled, or diseased livestock or poultry that is being transported in intrastate commerce or is otherwise subject to sections 54-1901 to 54-1915, or is held for sale in this state after such transportation, and that (1) is or has been prepared, sold, transported, or otherwise distributed or offered or received for distribution in violation of sections 54-1901 to 54-1915 or any rules or regulations duly promulgated thereunder, or (2) is capable of use as a human food and found to be adulterated or misbranded, or (3) in any other way is in violation of sections 54-1901 to 54-1915, shall be seized and embargoed.
Upon receiving written permission from the owner or claimant, all articles, animals, or poultry under seizure or embargo shall be destroyed at the expense of the owner or claimant. When permission for destruction cannot be obtained, the director shall petition a judge of the district court in whose jurisdiction the article, animal, or poultry is seized or embargoed for a condemnation of such article, animal, or poultry. If the court finds that the seized or embargoed article, animal, or poultry is adulterated or misbranded, it shall, after entry of the decree, be destroyed at the expense of the claimant or owner thereof, under the supervision of the director or an inspector, and all court costs and fees and storage and other proper expenses shall be taxed against the owner or claimant or his or her agent; Provided, that when the adulteration or misbranding can be corrected by proper labeling or further processing of the article of livestock or poultry, the court, after entry of the decree and after such costs, fees, and expenses have been paid and a good and sufficient bond has been executed, conditioned that such article of livestock or poultry shall be so labeled or further processed, may by order direct that such article of livestock or poultry be delivered to claimant thereof for labeling or further processing under the supervision of an inspector. The expense of such supervision may be assessed against the claimant. The article of livestock or poultry shall be returned to the claimant on the representation to the court by the director that it is no longer in violation of sections 54-1901 to 54-1915, the Nebraska Pure Food Act, or of any federal act or acts, and that the expenses of such supervision have been paid. In the case of mislabeled or misbranded articles of livestock or poultry which are abandoned by the owner and for which no claimant appears, the same may be sold by the director or his or her agent and the proceeds of the sale shall be paid to the State Treasurer to be placed in the General Fund. No article, poultry, or livestock shall be sold contrary to the provisions of sections 54-1901 to 54-1915, the Nebraska Pure Food Act, the Wholesome Meat Act, or the Wholesome Poultry Products Act.
The provisions of this section shall in no way derogate from authority for condemnation or seizure conferred by other provisions of sections 54-1901 to 54-1915, or other laws. The district courts of this state are vested with jurisdiction specifically to enforce, and to prevent and restrain violations of, sections 54-1901 to 54-1915 and shall have jurisdiction in all other kinds of cases arising under sections 54-1901 to 54-1915 except as otherwise provided for in sections 54-1901 to 54-1915.
Laws 1969, ch. 449, § 12, p. 1517; Laws 1981, LB 487, § 45.
(1) Any officer, inspector, or employee of this state authorized to perform any of the duties prescribed by sections 54-1901 to 54-1915 who shall accept any money, gift, or other thing of value from any person given with intent to influence his official action, or who shall receive or accept from any person engaged in intrastate commerce subject to sections 54-1901 to 54-1915 any gift, money, or other thing of value given with any purpose or intent whatsoever, shall be deemed guilty of a Class III misdemeanor and shall be summarily discharged from office.
(2) Any person who forcibly assaults, resists, opposes, impedes, intimidates, bribes or attempts to bribe, or interferes with any inspector or employee while engaged in or on account of the performance of his official duties under sections 54-1901 to 54-1915, shall be deemed guilty of a Class II misdemeanor.
(3) Any person who violates any provisions of sections 54-1901 to 54-1915 or regulations duly promulgated thereunder, for which no other criminal penalty is provided by sections 54-1901 to 54-1915, shall be deemed guilty of a Class II misdemeanor, but if such violation involves intent to defraud, or any distribution or attempted distribution of an article that is adulterated, such person shall be guilty of a Class IV felony.
Laws 1969, ch. 449, § 13, p. 1518; Laws 1977, LB 39, § 49.
(1) Whenever he or she has reason to believe that any licensee may be in possession of information relevant to an investigation by him or her of suspected violations of the provisions of the Nebraska Meat and Poultry Inspection Law or regulations promulgated thereunder, the director may require such person to file with him or her in such form as he or she may prescribe special reports or answers in writing to specific questions, furnishing such information. Such reports and answers shall be made under oath and shall be filed with the director within such reasonable period as the director may prescribe, unless additional time is granted in any case upon prompt application for same.
(2) To have access to all establishments, including any premises where a mobile or remote processing unit is located or utilized, for the purposes of examination or inspection or both at all times and the right to copy any documentary evidence of any person being investigated or proceeded against, and may require by subpoena the attendance and testimony of witnesses and the production of all documentary evidence of any person or the taking of a deposition relating to any matter under his or her investigation. The director may sign subpoenas and may administer oaths and affirmations, examine witnesses, and receive evidence in accordance with the provisions of section 54-1905. In case of disobedience to a subpoena, the director may invoke the aid of the district court of Lancaster County in requiring the attendance and testimony of witnesses and the production of documentary evidence. If any person fails to obey an order of the court, he or she may be punished by the court as for contempt thereof. Witnesses summoned or required to give depositions shall be paid the same fees that are paid witnesses in the district courts of this state and mileage at the same rate provided in section 81-1176 for state employees.
No person shall be excused from attending and testifying or from producing books, papers, schedules of charges, contracts, agreements, or other documentary evidence before the director or in obedience to the subpoena of the director, whether such subpoena be signed or issued by the director or his or her delegate, or in any cause or proceeding, criminal or otherwise, based upon or growing out of any alleged violation of the Nebraska Meat and Poultry Inspection Law, or of any amendments thereto, on the ground or for the reason that the testimony or evidence, documentary or otherwise, required of him or her may tend to incriminate him or her or subject him or her to a penalty or forfeiture; but no individual shall be prosecuted or subjected to a penalty or forfeiture for or on account of any transaction, matter, or thing concerning which he or she is compelled, after having claimed his or her privilege against self-incrimination, to testify or produce evidence, documentary or otherwise, except that any individual so testifying shall not be exempt from prosecution and punishment for perjury committed in so testifying.
Laws 1969, ch. 449, § 14, p. 1519; Laws 1981, LB 204, § 96; Laws 2003, LB 160, § 14.
The director is hereby authorized to cooperate with the United States Department of Agriculture for the exchange and cross certification of employees or inspectors to implement sections 54-1901 to 54-1915.
Laws 1969, ch. 449, § 15, p. 1520.

References: § 1
 § 2
 § 42
 § 5
 § 346
 § 73
 § 2
 § 12
 § 3
 § 4
 § 43
 § 11
 § 98
 § 137
 § 9
 § 5
 § 99
 § 6
 § 43
 § 13
 § 7
 § 8
 § 9
 § 10
 § 11
 § 44
 § 12
 § 45
 § 13
 § 49
 § 14
 § 96
 § 14
 § 15