§ 11-19-102 — Duty of public to report diseases; list of reportable diseases; failure to comply or obstruction of duty; liability; penalties

(a) Any person or government entity who knows or suspects
that there is any contagious or infectious reportable disease
among animals owned by or under their jurisdiction or any
veterinarian who knows or suspects any reportable contagious or
infectious disease on any premises or in any animal, shall
immediately report the same to the state veterinarian. The
state veterinarian shall establish and manage a list of
reportable diseases for any contagious or infectious disease
deemed by the state veterinarian to be a threat to domestic
animals. During development of this list the state veterinarian
shall consult with the Wyoming game and fish department's
supervisor of veterinary research services. Information
collected in response to the list of reportable diseases shall
be considered confidential proprietary information. Access to
any information collected under the list of reportable diseases
shall be limited to the person who reported the disease and the
state veterinarian, except that the state veterinarian may at
his discretion notify any of the following:
(i) The Wyoming livestock board;
(ii) The state veterinary laboratory;
(iii) The Wyoming game and fish director only if the
disease threatens wildlife;
(iv) Any state or federal inspector, public health
official or peace officer who is actively involved in the
investigation of an outbreak or suspected outbreak of the
contagious or infectious disease;
(v) Owners of possible contact animals;
(vi) Adjacent landowners; or
(vii) Local area practicing veterinarians.
(b) The state veterinarian when he deems it to be in the
best interests of animal health, or the state public health
officer when he deems it to be in the best interests of human
public health, may release to the public any information
collected under subsection (a) of this section, except the
identity of any individual who reported the disease or whose
animals may have contracted the disease.
(c) A failure to report, or any attempt to conceal the
existence of the disease or to willfully or maliciously obstruct
or resist the veterinarian in the discharge of his duty is a
misdemeanor. Any person who willfully or maliciously falsifies a
report to the state veterinarian is guilty of a misdemeanor. Any
person convicted of any of the above acts or omissions shall be
punished as provided in W.S. 11-1-103.
(d) Any person who knows that they own or have in their
possession any livestock as defined by W.S. 11-20-101(a)(iv)
infected with any disease formally declared by the Wyoming
livestock board, through rule and regulation, as being
potentially economically devastating and for which there is a
valid diagnostic test and who transfers ownership or possession
of the livestock to another person, or who knowingly or through
his own neglect allows the livestock to commingle with
uninfected livestock, is liable for the economic damages caused
by the spread of the disease to uninfected livestock. In
addition to the conditions for liability and recovery set in
subsection (e) of this section, damages shall be available under
this subsection only to a transferee who accepts the diseased
animal directly from the liable person and to the owner of an
animal that becomes infected as the result of direct contact
with the diseased animal. The burden of proving liability and
damages under this section shall be upon the person claiming
damages. Any person who files a claim for recovery under this
subsection alleging facts known to be false is liable for three
(3) times the damages caused by the false claim and reasonable
attorney fees.
(e) No person who has received written notice that an
animal is infected with a disease identified in subsection (d)
of this section prior to acquiring ownership or assuming
possession of the infected animal shall be entitled to the
damages provided by subsection (d) of this section. No
livestock sales or auction facility shall be subject to the
liability imposed by subsection (d) of this section if:
(i) The existence of disease was not reported to the
facility and the facility did not know of the existence of the
disease; or
(ii) The facility provided written notice of the
disease to the person claiming damages under subsection (d) of
this section.
(f) Notwithstanding subsection (a) of this section, the
state veterinarian shall provide testing information to the
owner of an animal that has tested non-negative for brucellosis
not later than three (3) days after receipt of the preliminary
laboratory results.