Pennsylvania Consolidated & Unconsolidated Statutes
Chapter 23 - Domestic Animals
Section 2329 - Quarantine

(a) Power to establish and enforce.--Whenever a dangerous transmissible disease or contamination by hazardous substances exists anywhere within or outside of this Commonwealth, or whenever it is deemed advisable to test or treat any domestic animal upon the reasonable suspicion that it has contracted or been exposed to a dangerous transmissible disease or is contaminated with a hazardous substance, or whenever the testing or treatment of a domestic animal indicates that the domestic animal has been exposed to a dangerous transmissible disease or contaminated with a hazardous substance so as to render future accurate testing for recent exposure of that domestic animal to that dangerous transmissible disease or hazardous substance impractical or impossible, the department shall have the power to establish and enforce quarantines of any such infected, exposed, contaminated, suspected or susceptible domestic animal. In addition to the aforedescribed domestic animals, a quarantine may apply to any goods, products, facilities, containers, vehicles or materials that may carry dangerous transmissible disease or that may be contaminated with a hazardous substance and may be applied on or in or against any premises, area or locality as defined in this chapter.
(b) Type and duration.--Quarantines shall be of three kinds:
(1) interstate and/or international;
(2) general; and
(3) special;
and shall continue in effect for such lengths of time as the department deems necessary or advisable.
(c) Interstate and international quarantines.--
(1) An interstate or international quarantine may be established and enforced by order of the department against any place or places outside this Commonwealth for any of the reasons set forth in subsection (a) or where dangerous transmissible diseases or hazardous substances are reported to exist. An interstate or international quarantine order may prohibit the bringing of any domestic animals, conveyances, containers, goods, products or materials into this Commonwealth except in accordance with the requirements set forth in the quarantine order. The order may require the quarantine, testing, treatment, killing or other disposition of any domestic animal brought into this Commonwealth in violation of the order and may require the quarantine, disinfection or destruction of goods, products, conveyances, materials or containers brought into this Commonwealth in violation of the order. The order may also require that a person importing domestic animals in violation of the order bear the expenses of postentry requirements of this chapter.
(2) An interstate or international quarantine shall be established by order of the department and shall be effective as of the date of actual or constructive notice of the order or any later date specified in that order.
(3) Notices and copies of the order establishing an interstate or international quarantine shall be advertised in the Pennsylvania Bulletin within 20 days of the date of the order, in at least one newspaper of general circulation within this Commonwealth and in at least one newspaper of general circulation in the state(s) or nation(s) against which the quarantine is directed. Publication in the Pennsylvania Bulletin shall effect constructive notice. The department shall, if practicable, mail or deliver notice and a copy of the quarantine order to the governmental agency or agencies overseeing agricultural affairs in the state(s) or nation(s) against which the quarantine is directed. The quarantine order may be enforced prior to such publication or distribution.
(d) General quarantines.--
(1) A general quarantine may be established and enforced by order of the department against any area or locality within this Commonwealth for any of the reasons set forth in subsection (a) to prevent a dangerous transmissible disease or a domestic animal contaminated by a hazardous substance from being carried into, within, from or out of the area or locality that is subject to the quarantine. A general quarantine order may include any domestic animals, conveyances, containers, goods, products or materials that may carry dangerous transmissible disease or domestic animals that are contaminated with a hazardous substance and may include any area or locality, including all buildings, structures, premises and equipment located therein.
(2) A general quarantine shall be established by order of the department and shall be effective as of the date of actual or constructive notice of the order or any later date specified in that order.
(3) Notices and copies of the order establishing a general quarantine shall be advertised in the Pennsylvania Bulletin within 20 days of the date of the order and in at least one newspaper of general circulation within the area or locality subject to the quarantine. Publication in the Pennsylvania Bulletin shall effect constructive notice. The quarantine order may be enforced prior to such publication.
(e) Special quarantines.--
(1) A special quarantine may be established and enforced by order of the department against any premises, domestic animals, conveyances, containers, goods, products or materials situated within this Commonwealth for any of the reasons set forth in subsection (a) or whenever it is deemed necessary or advisable by the department to prevent or control the spread of a dangerous transmissible disease; control a domestic animal contaminated by a hazardous substance; control any domestic animal; examine or disinfect or regulate the use of any premises, materials, conveyances, goods, containers or products; or destroy or dispose of the carcass of any dead domestic animal.
(2) A special quarantine shall be established by the posting of a quarantine order describing the domestic animal or domestic animals and any conveyances, containers, goods, materials, products or premises covered by the special quarantine. The quarantine notice shall be conspicuously posted so as to alert any visitor to the quarantined premises of the probable presence of a dangerous transmissible disease or domestic animals contaminated by hazardous substances.
(3) If practicable, the department shall serve a copy of the special quarantine order upon the owner or caretaker of the domestic animals, premises or other property subject to the order. The department shall have authority to make available to interested persons the names and locations of premises subject to special quarantine.
(f) Violations of quarantine.--
(1) It shall be unlawful for any person to sell, offer for sale, lease, lend, exchange, give away, transfer, remove or allow to be removed any animals or animal products, goods, materials, containers, conveyances or other articles that are the subject of a general or special quarantine order under this section without first obtaining the written permission of the department to do so.
(2) It shall be unlawful for any person to allow a domestic animal that is the subject of a general or special quarantine order under this section to stray beyond the quarantined premises, area or locality.
(3) It shall be unlawful for any person to transfer ownership of any animal or animal product that is the subject of a general or special quarantine order under this section without first notifying the prospective or actual transferee of the quarantine order and the reasons for the imposition of quarantine.
(4) It shall be unlawful for any person to use or prepare as food for humans or domestic animals any domestic animal or domestic animal product that is the subject of a general or special quarantine order under this section without first obtaining the written permission of the department to do so. Such permission shall be granted in accordance with any applicable guidelines established by the department.
(5) It shall be unlawful for any person to tear, deface, destroy, remove, conceal or alter in any way any notice of quarantine posted by the department or to remove or destroy, partially or wholly, any portion of a building, tree, fence or other object to which a notice of quarantine has been posted by the department.
(6) It shall be unlawful for any person to bring into this Commonwealth any domestic animals, containers, goods, products, conveyances or materials that are the subject of an interstate or international quarantine order under this section.
(7) It shall be unlawful for any person to impede, hinder or interfere with the department entering upon premises or elsewhere in the performance of duties imposed by this subchapter.
(8) It shall be unlawful for any person to violate any provision of a quarantine order issued under this section.

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