CHAPTER 398

An Act to require the Commissioner of Agriculture and Immigration to
establish and operate a meat inspection service; and to this end to
amend and reenact §§ 8-676.1, 8-676.2, 8-676.8, and 8-676.5 of the
Code of Virginia, and to amend the Code of Virginia by adding sec-
tions numbered 8-676.4:1 and 8-676.4:2, the amended and new sections
providing for the transfer from the State Department of Health to
the Commissioner and Department of Agriculture and Immigration
of certain powers, duties, and functions in relation to meat inspection,
to authorize the Board of Agriculture and Immigration to make cer-
tain rules and regulations, to exempt from further inspection meat
and meat products meeting State and Federal inspection requirements,
to authorize political subdivisions of the State to require the inspec-
tion of certain fresh dressed meat and meat products, at their own
expense, to exempt from inspection and from the requirements of
any local ordinance sales of cured meat, and to provide for payment
of costs of State meat inspection. CH 864]

Approved March 29, 1958

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia: oo,
1. That §§ 3-676.1, 3-676.2, 3-676.3, and 3-676.5 of the Code of Virginia
be amended and reenacted, and that the Code of Virginia be amended by
adding sections numbered 3-676.4:1 and 8-676.4:2, the amended and new
sections being as follows:

§ 3-676.1. The * Commissioner of Agriculture and Immigration shall
establish and operate a State meat inspection service and * provide such
service to any qualified slaughterhouse, meat packing plant or similar
establishment in Virginia applying to * him for such inspection and *
employ an inspection force for the purpose of carrying out the provisions
of this article. AZ powers, duties and functions of the Virginia Department
of Health in relation to the meat inspection service heretofore conducted
by tt are transferred to and vested in the Commissioner and Department
of Agriculture and Immigration.

_. § 8-676.2. A slaughterhouse, meat packing plant or similar estab-
lishment may be considered as qualified to receive meat inspection when it
has complied with the standards established by the State Board of * Agri-
culture and Immigration, regarding the physical plant, equipment, sani-
tary facilities, operating practices and refuse disposal facilities of such
establishments.

§ 3-676.3. The State Board of * Agriculture and Immigration is
authorized to establish official standards, adopt and enforce regulations
dealing with plant construction and equipment, sanitation and operating
practices, ante mortem and post mortem inspection of meat food animals,
processing of meat and meat food products, packaging, wrapping and
transportation of such products, disposal of condemned carcasses, portions
thereof, and meat and meat food products derived therefrom, marking of
such products after inspection, qualification and training of inspectors, and
all other matters directly pertaining to the slaughter, processing and inspec-
tion of animals for food in any establishment operating under the State
meat inspection service as provided in §§ 3-676.1 and 3-676.2. In no case
shall the standards and regulations herein authorized be below those
required in the regulations governing meat inspection of the United States
Department of Agriculture.

§ 3-676.4:1. Meat and meat products meeting State or Federal in-
spection requirements may be sold without further inspection in any politi-
cal subdivision of the Commonwealth. However, nothing herein contained
shall be construed as preventing any political subdivision of the State from
requiring inspection of fresh dressed meat and meat products that have
not been inspected by the State or Federal meat inspection service and are
offered for sale by the farmer-producer of the animal from which such
meat came; provided that any such local inspection, if required, shall be
conducted by a full-time inspector or inspectors, at a convenient location,
on a regularly available basis; and provided, further, that the costs of such
local inspection shall be borne by the political subdivision imposing same.

§ 8-676.4:2. Inspection shall not be required for cured meat. No
county, city or town may prohibit the sale of uninspected cured meat.

8-676.5. The * cost of * operating the State meat inspection service
shall be paid * out of the appropriation provided from the general fund of
the State treasury, to the extent funds are provided therefor in the budget
but each establishment inspected shall pay that part of the actual cost of
inspection provided it and not so paid for from State funds.