The following words and terms, when used in this chapter, shall
have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates
otherwise:
(1) Accredited veterinarian--A veterinarian approved
by USDA under the provisions of Title 9, Part 161, Code of Federal
Regulations, to perform specified functions required by cooperative
state-federal disease control eradication programs for Category II
animals.
(2) Authorized personnel--
(A) Veterinarians and inspectors employed by the commission;
(B) USDA-APHIS, VS veterinary medical officers and
animal health technicians;
(C) Veterinarians who:
(i) are licensed to practice veterinary medicine in
Texas; and
(ii) are Category II accredited by USDA-APHIS, VS for
the State of Texas; and
(iii) have satisfactorily completed Texas Animal Health
Commission disease control or eradication program training or provide
documentation to the executive director that they have satisfactorily
completed substantially similar disease control or eradication program
training;
(D) Veterinarians' technicians and/or employees who
have satisfactorily completed the Texas Animal Health Commission disease
control or eradication program training or provide documentation to
the Executive Director that they have satisfactorily completed substantially
similar disease control or eradication program training; and
(E) For the Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) program,
individuals who have satisfactorily completed Texas Animal Health
Commission CWD disease control or eradication program training or
provide documentation to the executive director that they have satisfactorily
completed substantially similar CWD disease control or eradication
program training.
(3) APHIS--The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
of the United States Department of Agriculture.
(4) Commission--The Texas Animal Health Commission.
(5) Disease control or eradication program--Any state
or federal disease control or eradication program for animals.
(6) Executive Director--The Executive Director of the
Texas Animal Health Commission or any individual authorized to act
for the Executive Director.
(7) False sample--An adulterated sample or a sample
that was collected from an animal other than the animal indicated
on the test document.
(8) Issue--The distribution, including electronic transmission,
of an official document that has been signed.
(9) Official document--Any certificate, form, record,
report, chart, tag, band, or other identification, required by the
commission or USDA for use by an authorized person performing authorized
functions under this chapter. This includes, but is not limited to
a certificate of veterinary inspection, vaccination charts and test
documents.
(10) Sign--For an authorized person to put his or her
signature in his or her own hand, or by means of an approved digital
signature, on an official document. No official document is signed
if:
(A) Someone other than the authorized person has signed
it on behalf or in the name of the authorized person, regardless of
the authority granted them by the authorized person; or
(B) If any mechanical device, other than an approved
digital signature, has been used to affix the signature.
(11) Veterinarian-in-Charge--The veterinary official
of APHIS who is assigned by the USDA Administrator to supervise and
perform the official work of APHIS in a State or group of States.
(12) VS--The Veterinary Services of the United States
Department of Agriculture.
(13) Veterinarian's technician or employee--An authorized
person who works under the supervision of an authorized veterinarian
unless specifically exempted under this chapter, or rules of the Texas
Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners as provided in 22 TAC Chapter
573, Subchapter B (relating to Supervision of Personnel), to perform
certain procedures under general supervision.
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