Slaughter facilities — blood samples

1. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires: a. “Department” means the department of agriculture and land stewardship unless the United States department of agriculture is otherwise specified. b. “Slaughtering establishment” means a person engaged in the business of slaughtering animals, if the person is an establishment subject to the provisions of chapter 189A which slaughters animals for meat food products as defined in section 189A.2. 2. The department may require that samples of blood be collected from animals at a slaughtering establishment in order to determine if the animals are infected with an infectious or contagious disease, according to rules adopted by the department of agriculture and land stewardship. Upon approval by the department, the collection shall be performed by either of the following: a. A slaughtering establishment under an agreement executed by the department and the slaughtering establishment. b. A person authorized by the department. 3. An authorized person collecting samples shall have access to areas where the animals are confined in order to collect blood samples. The department shall notify the slaughtering establishment in writing that samples of blood must be collected for analysis. The notice shall be provided in a manner required by the department. 4. In carrying out this section, a person authorized by the department to collect blood samples from animals as provided in this section shall have the right to enter and remain on the premises of the slaughtering establishment in the same manner and on the same terms as a meat inspector authorized by the department, including the right to access facilities routinely available to employees of the slaughtering establishment such as toilet and lavatory facilities, lockers, cafeterias, areas reserved for work breaks or dining, and storage facilities. 5. The slaughtering establishment shall provide a secure area for the permanent storage of equipment used to collect blood, an area reserved for collecting the blood, including the storage of blood during the collection, and a refrigerated area used to store blood samples prior to analysis. The area reserved for collecting the blood shall be adjacent to the area where the animals are killed, unless the authorized person and the slaughtering establishment select another area. 6. The department is not required to compensate a slaughtering establishment for allowing a person authorized by the department to carry out this section.