Section 430.5 - Powers and duties of commissionThe commission shall have the following powers and duties:
(1) To adopt, issue, amend and rescind suitable rules and regulations to carry out the provisions and purposes of this act.(2) To hear and determine all grants allowable under this act.(3) To receive funds from Federal, State and private sources, to deposit the funds in an interest-bearing restricted revenue account pursuant to section 4 and to authorize expenditures from this fund for the purposes of carrying out the provisions of this act.(4) To coordinate animal health, animal research and animal diagnostic programs in this Commonwealth, including, but not limited to, those programs conducted at The Pennsylvania State University, the Department of Agriculture and the University of Pennsylvania: Provided, That this coordination shall not affect the Department of Agriculture in discharging its statutory and regulatory authority concerning the prevention, control or eradication of dangerous transmissible diseases of animals or birds.(5) To make grants for, and acquire data regarding, animal health research, including, but not limited to: (i) the determination of long-term animal health trends within the animal health industry, with emphasis upon those areas deemed most critical to the animal agriculture producers, the nutrition and health of the consumers and the quality of life in rural communities;(ii) the prioritization of animal health research projects;(iii) the maximization of receipt of grant funds from Federal agencies for animal health research;(iv) the maximization of receipt of funds from private sources interested in animal health research;(v) the distribution of funds for animal health research projects to those institutions or agencies within the Commonwealth which conduct contracted diagnostic work in animal health;(vi) the evaluation of factors involved in animal health problems to determine which are biologic in origin and which are caused by improper livestock management;(vii) the computerized compilation, maintenance, indexing and dissemination of animal health research projects and results, where available, especially in those cases where research was funded wholly or partially by the Commonwealth;(viii) the determination of the need for capital funding for research facilities and equipment;(ix) the conduct of annual surveys of the veterinary medical profession, the food processing industries and businesses related to livestock agriculture to isolate trends or circumstances which may threaten animal or human health; and(x) the exchange of biomedical research and information between human health and animal health sources, including the isolation of animal disease models.(6) To make grants for, and acquire data regarding, animal disease diagnosis, including, but not limited to: (i) the development of a coordinated reporting and monitoring system for animal disease diagnosis;(ii) the development of toxicological capabilities, especially those related to a drug detection program for horse racing and to a determination of animal health problems because of the close proximity of animal agriculture to mining and to oil and gas drilling;(iii) the expansion of diagnostic virology capabilities, especially those related to virus isolation procedures; and(iv) the determination of the need for capital funding for animal disease diagnostic facilities and equipment.(7) To make recommendations to the General Assembly and to the Department of Agriculture regarding animal health research, animal disease diagnosis and indemnification for losses caused by animal disease.1988, Dec. 14, P.L. 1198, No. 148, § 5, effective in 60 days.