(a) Complete and sign a herd plan agreement with the Texas Animal Health Commission and the United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Veterinary Services.
(b) Testing will be on a herd basis. For initial certification, all sexually intact cervids in the herd that are 12 months of age or older must have two consecutive negative tests 9 to 15 months apart. Once certified status of the herd has been attained, the herd is certified for 36 months. All previously tested animals must be accounted for on a following test.
(c) Recertification.
  (1) To qualify for recertification, the herd must pass a test within a period of 33 to 39 months of the anniversary date. The recertification period will be 36 months from the anniversary date, and not 36 months from the date of the recertification test. For continuous certification, the herd must have a negative test of all animals, required to be tested, conducted within 90 days before the certification anniversary date. If the test is not conducted prior to the anniversary date, but is conducted within 90 days following the anniversary date, the certification will be suspended until the recertification test is completed. If a herd blood test for recertification is not conducted within 90 days after the anniversary date, the certification requirements are the same as for initial certification. A recertification test must be conducted every 33 to 39 months after initial certification in order to maintain Certified Brucellosis Herd Status.
  (2) If suspects or reactors are found on recertification testing, certification status will be suspended and a herd investigation will be initiated.
(d) Movement into a certified brucellosis-free cervid herd
  (1) From other certified brucellosis-free cervid herds. Animals originating from other certified brucellosis-free cervid herds do not need to be tested prior to movement.
  (2) From other herds. Animals purchased from cervid herds not certified brucellosis-free cannot be considered part of the certified herd until the following three serologic tests have been conducted:
    (A) Within 30 days prior to movement from the herd of origin;
    (B) Between 60 and 180 days after addition to the certified brucellosis-free cervid herd; and
    (C) As part of the herd test on the recertification test following the second test above.
(e) Recognition of certified brucellosis-free cervid herds. The Texas Animal Health Commission and the APHIS AVIC will issue a certified brucellosis-free cervid herd certificate when the herd first qualifies. Recertification will be done by renewal certificate showing only the certified free herd number, number of animals, and owner.

Source Note: The provisions of this §35.82 adopted to be effective August 22, 1999, 24 TexReg 6279; amended to be effective June 14, 2007, 32 TexReg 3171; amended to be effective March 17, 2008, 33 TexReg 2287