1. Assembly Bill No. 481–Committee on Natural Resources,


  1. Agriculture, and Mining

CHAPTER........

AN ACT relating to agriculture; eliminating the requirement for the registration of apiaries;

eliminating the annual fee for colonies of bees; eliminating the requirement for a

permit issued by the division of agriculture of the department of business and

industry to transport apiaries, bees, hives, combs or other used apiary supplies in

this state; eliminating the requirement for a permit issued by the division to import

into this state certain bees, used beehives, honeycombs or appliances; eliminating

the requirement for the inspection of certain apiaries of queen bees; and providing

other matters properly relating thereto.

 

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN

SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

Section 1. NRS 552.085 is hereby amended to read as follows:

  1. 552.085 As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires,
  1. the words and terms defined in NRS 552.08505 to [552.0863,] 552.0862,
  1. inclusive, have the meanings ascribed to them in those sections.

Sec. 2. NRS 552.0858 is hereby amended to read as follows:

  1. 552.0858 "Disease" means any condition adversely affecting bees, or
  1. their brood, which may become epidemic, including [American foulbrood,
  1. mites of both the Acarapis woodi and the Varroa jacobsoni species,] ,
  1. without limitation, bacteria, viruses or invertebrate pests and the presence
  1. of undesirable genetic characteristics including those associated with Apis
  1. mellifera scutellata or hybrids of this subspecies.

Sec. 3. NRS 552.160 is hereby amended to read as follows:

  1. 552.160 1. The division may order the inspection of any or all
  1. apiaries and all buildings used in connection with [such] those apiaries in
  1. any district or districts of the state annually, or [oftener] more often if
  1. deemed necessary, or upon report to it that there is reason to believe that
  1. any apiary [or apiaries] may be infected with any disease, or that any
  1. honey, honeycombs or beeswax are exposed to robber bees.
  1. 2. If [such] the inspection discloses any disease, the division may:
  1. (a) Order the owner or any person in possession of the apiary to destroy
  1. the diseased bees, hives and appliances in a manner prescribed by the
  1. division and at the expense of the owner;
  1. (b) Order the owner or any person in possession of the apiary to treat the
  1. hives and appliances in a manner prescribed by the division and at the
  1. expense of the owner [,] if, in the opinion of the inspector, the nuisance can
  1. be abated by treatment rather than destruction; or
  1. (c) Proclaim a quarantine in accordance with chapter 554 of NRS.
  1. 3. [If inspection discloses the existence of American foulbrood, the]
  1. The order for destruction or treatment must require compliance within [not
  1. less than 24 hours nor more than 72 hours. Any other order must specify] a
  1. reasonable time with reference to the nature of the disease.
  2. 4. If [such] the inspection discloses honey, honeycombs or beeswax
  1. exposed to robber bees, the division may order the abatement of [such] the
  1. nuisance in a manner appropriate to the circumstances.
  1. 5. The order must be served upon the owner or person in possession of
  1. the apiary personally or by registered or certified mail, or, if [such] that
  1. person cannot be located, by posting the order in a conspicuous place at the
  1. apiary.

Sec. 4. NRS 552.212 is hereby amended to read as follows:

  1. 552.212 1. A person shall not ship or transport into this state any
  1. queens or other bees in screened cages without comb unless the shipment is
  1. accompanied by a certificate of an authorized officer of the state of origin
  1. certifying that all bees intended for shipment:
  1. (a) Were inspected within 60 days before the date of shipment; and
  1. (b) Were found to be free from disease and pests.
  1. 2. The division [shall] may hold a shipment which is not accompanied
  1. by the certificate of inspection and notify the person who owns or controls
  1. the bees that they will be destroyed after 48 hours [from] after the time of
  1. the notice unless a proper certificate of inspection is supplied. If the
  1. certificate is not supplied within that time, the bees may be destroyed.

Sec. 5. NRS 552.215 is hereby amended to read as follows:

  1. 552.215 When an inspection is requested by any person [for the
  1. purpose of obtaining a certificate of inspection for bees or appliances, the
  1. applicant for such certificate] to determine the presence of disease or
  1. colony strength, the person who requests the inspection shall pay a
  1. reasonable fee as prescribed by the division to pay the expenses of the
  1. inspection.

Sec. 6. NRS 552.255 is hereby amended to read as follows:

  1. 552.255 The following [are hereby] may be declared to be public
  1. nuisances and are subject to abatement under the provisions of this chapter:
  1. 1. Diseased bees and any apiary in which they are found.
  1. 2. Honey, honeycombs and beeswax containing honey which are
  1. exposed to robber bees.

Sec. 7. NRS 561.055 is hereby amended to read as follows:

  1. 561.055 1. Three members of the board must be actively engaged in
  1. range or semirange cattle production, one in dairying, one in general
  1. farming, one in general agriculture, one in growing crops which are
  1. planted in rows spaced to permit mechanical cultivation, one [in
  1. beekeeping, one] in the control of pests, one in the petroleum industry and
  1. one in raising nursery stock.
  1. 2. [No] Not more than two members may be residents of the same
  1. county, and the range or semirange cattle production members must be
  1. residents of different counties.

Sec. 8. NRS 552.0857, 552.0863, 552.155, 552.157, 552.200,

552.210, 552.214, 552.220 and 552.270 are hereby repealed.

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