§2358.3. Definitions

            When used in this Part, the following terms shall have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

            (1) "Certified laboratory" means a laboratory which has a current certification or accreditation by the Federal Food and Drug Administration or other national certifying or accrediting agency to perform microbiological or residue testing of organic or inorganic samples and has a microbiologist on staff, and has been approved by the Department of Agriculture and Forestry.

            (2) "Chain of custody form" means a document approved by the department which verifies species, destination, origin, and turtle group and which is used for transporting turtles within the state of Louisiana only.

            (3) "Commissioner" means the Louisiana commissioner of agriculture and forestry.

            (4) "Farm-raised turtle" means any reptile of the order Testudines which is bred, born, raised, or kept, by a licensed turtle farmer within a closed circumscribed pond for the purpose of buying, selling, or trading in commerce.

            (5) "Health certificate" means a document which certifies that the turtles or turtle eggs are free of visible signs of infectious, contagious, or communicable diseases, and which is signed by a veterinarian who is licensed in this state, federally accredited and approved by the Department of Agriculture and Forestry.

            (6) "Licensed turtle farm" means any person engaged in the collection, hatching, sale, shipping, or distribution of farm-raised turtles or turtle eggs.

            (7) "Person" means any individual, partnership, association, organization, or corporation engaged in any phase of the farm-raised turtle industry.

            (8) "Turtle group" means any amount, either multiple or single units, consisting of no more than twenty thousand farm-raised turtles or turtle eggs.

            Acts 1990, No. 770, §1; Acts 2008, No. 920, §1, eff. July 14, 2008; Acts 2017, No. 69, §1.