A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to Study The Potential Reporting Of Antibiotic Drug Use In Livestock Raised In North Carolina.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  The Division of Public Health of the Department of Health and Human Services, with the cooperation of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, shall study the use of antibiotic drugs in livestock production in the State. As part of its study, the Division and Department shall:
(1)	Examine the supply chain of antibiotic delivery to livestock raised in the State.
(2)	Determine which segment of the antibiotic supply chain (considering, but not limited to, the antibiotic manufacturer, owner of the animal, feed mill, or farm operator or owner) would provide the best estimate through reporting to the Division of Public Health of the types, amounts, application methods, reasons for use (including disease prevention, growth promotion, or disease treatment), and target livestock species of antibiotic use in the livestock industry operating in the State.
(3)	Conduct a survey in the three counties of the State with the highest densities of hog, poultry, dairy, and beef populations of operators or owners of livestock production facilities, owners of the animals, and the feed mills providing antibiotics for growth promotion, disease prevention, or disease treatment to the livestock. The survey shall provide an initial estimate of the types, amounts, application methods, and target species of antibiotic use in the raising of those livestock in the State.
(4)	Examine the occurrence and trends over the last decade of antibiotic resistance to antibiotics used in livestock production (as identified in the 2011 United States Food and Drug Administration Summary Report on Antimicrobials Sold or Distributed for use in Food‑Producing Animals) in hospitals and within other appropriate medical facilities serving the populations within the 10 counties with the highest densities of livestock in North Carolina and the 10 counties with the lowest densities of livestock in North Carolina.
SECTION 2.  The Division of Public Health of the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services shall jointly report their findings and recommendations developed pursuant to this act to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Health and Human Services on or before January 1, 2015.
SECTION 3.  This act is effective when it becomes law.