An Act amending the act of April 6, 1956 (1955 P.L.1429, No.466), referred to as the Poultry Technician Licensure Law, further providing for collection of samples, for technician requirements, for licensure, for powers and duties of Secretary of Agriculture and for blood sample restrictions.

PRINTER'S NO. 272
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 324
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY CEPEDA-FREYTIZ, STEELE, PASHINSKI, KENYATTA, HILL-
EVANS, SANCHEZ, PROBST AND GIRAL, JANUARY 27, 2025
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE AND RURAL AFFAIRS,
JANUARY 27, 2025
AN ACT
Amending the act of April 6, 1956 (1955 P.L.1429, No.466),
entitled "An act providing for and regulating the licensing
of poultry technicians by the Secretary of Agriculture for
the drawing of blood from poultry to be used in pullorum
testing programs," further providing for collection of
samples, for technician requirements, for licensure, for
powers and duties of Secretary of Agriculture and for blood
sample restrictions.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Sections 1, 2, 4, 6 and 8 of the act of April 6,
1956 (1955 P.L.1429, No.466), referred to as the Poultry
Technician Licensure Law, are amended to read:
Section 1. The Secretary of Agriculture, when he determines
that there is a need for trained technicians to aid in [drawing
blood from poultry to be used in pullorum testing programs, may
license as many trained technicians as he deems necessary to aid
the programs.] the collection of regulatory samples from poultry
and eggs and conduct on-site surveillance for dangerous
transmissible diseases of poultry, may license as many certified
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poultry technicians as he deems necessary to carry out specified
regulatory sampling and testing procedures. The Secretary of
Agriculture may establish the licensing and certification
standards, and the regulatory sampling and testing procedures,
and may provide for training in Spanish, through the issuance of
a general quarantine order under the authority of 3 Pa.C.S. §
2329 (relating to quarantine) .
Section 2. Every applicant for licensure as a poultry
technician shall furnish evidence that [he is] the applicant is
at least eighteen years of age, [a citizen of the United States,
or has legally declared his intention to become such, is of good
moral character, has completed at least eight years of education
in a public, parochial or private school, or its equivalent, as
evaluated by the Department of Public Instruction, and has] can
legally work in the United States in accordance with Federal and
State law and has satisfactorily completed a course of training
[in poultry blood-testing] as a certified poultry technician as
prescribed by the Department of Agriculture.
Section 4. No application for licensure as a poultry
technician shall be considered unless accompanied by a fee of
[five dollars ($5)] ten dollars ($10). Such licenses when issued
shall be in force, unless revoked for cause, until January first
of each year, at which time they may be renewed upon payment of
the [five dollars ($5)] ten dollars ($10) fee if renewal
application is approved by the Department of Agriculture.
Appeals from any action of the Secretary of Agriculture,
which results in a refusal to issue or renew, or in a suspension
or revocation of a license, shall be taken in accordance with
the provisions of [the act of June four, one thousand nine
hundred forty-five (Pamphlet Laws 1388), known as the
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"Administrative Agency Law."] 2 Pa.C.S. Ch. 7 Subch. A (relating
to judicial review of Commonwealth agency action).
Section 6. The Secretary of Agriculture may (1) adopt and
promulgate rules, quarantine orders and regulations governing
the activities, methods and functions of all technicians
licensed under the provisions of this act, and (2) suspend or
revoke the license of any licensee who is (i) incompetent, (ii)
fails to comply with the provisions of this act, quarantine
orders or any rule or regulation of the secretary, or (iii) is
intemperate in the use of stimulants, narcotics or any other
substance which impairs the performance of his duties.
[Section 8. A person licensed under the provisions of this
act engaged to draw blood samples from poultry to be used in
pullorum testing shall not be an employe of the owner of the
poultry.]
Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
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