Sec. 1. 7 MRSA §446, as repealed and replaced by PL 1979, c. 672, Pt. A, §17, is amended to read:

§446. Inspections

The commissioner or his the commissioner's duly authorized agents may inspect any fruits, vegetables, poultry, eggs, farm products, sardines livestock or other commodities that are marked, branded or labeled in accordance with official grades or standards established and promulgated adopted by the commissioner for the purpose of determining and certifying the quality and condition thereof and other material facts relative thereto. Certificates issued in pursuance of that inspection and executed by the inspector shall must state the date and place of inspection, the grade, condition and approximate quality of the fruits, vegtables vegetables, poultry, eggs, farm products, sardines livestock or other commodities inspected and such other pertinent facts as the commissioner may require. Such a certificate relative to the condition or quality of the farm products and sardines shall be is prima facie evidence in all courts of the State of the facts required to be stated in the certificate.

Sec. 2. 7 MRSA §1302, sub-§3, as amended by PL 2001, c. 572, §4, is further amended to read:

3. Livestock and poultry. "Livestock and poultry" includes all cattle, sheep, goats, swine, equines, poultry, domesticated cervidae cervids and other animals raised for food or fiber.

Sec. 3. 7 MRSA §§1309 and 1310 are enacted to read:

§1309.__Cattle health assurance program

The commissioner shall develop a cattle health assurance program.__The purpose of the program is to ensure the highest quality supply of products by encouraging all livestock producers in this State to use best management practices.__The department shall develop a farm assessment plan that provides for on-site evaluations of farms to assess and suggest ways to improve the health of herds, protect the health and safety of herds from disease and protect farms from environmental liability.__The department shall consult with the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, the University of Maine System and state and federal veterinarians and livestock producers in this State.

The commissioner shall adopt rules for the administration of this section.__Rules adopted pursuant to this section are routine