BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SB 27
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(Without Reference to File)
SENATE THIRD READING
SB
27 (Hill)
As Amended September 10, 2015
Majority vote
SENATE VOTE: 25-10
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|Committee |Votes|Ayes |Noes |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|----------------+-----+----------------------+--------------------|
|Agriculture |7-1 |Perea, Gallagher, |Grove |
| | |Cooper, Dodd, Eggman, | |
| | |Irwin, Salas | |
| | | | |
|----------------+-----+----------------------+--------------------|
|Appropriations |15-0 |Gomez, Bloom, Bonta, | |
| | |Calderon, Chang, | |
| | |Nazarian, Eggman, | |
| | |Gallagher, Eduardo | |
| | |Garcia, Holden, | |
| | |Jones, Rendon, | |
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| | |Wagner, Weber, Wood | |
| | | | |
|----------------+-----+----------------------+--------------------|
|Agriculture |7-0 |Perea, Gallagher, | |
| | |Dodd, Irwin, | |
| | |Jones-Sawyer, Mathis, | |
| | |Quirk | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
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SUMMARY: Prohibits, beginning January 1, 2018, the use of
medically important anti-microbial drugs (MIAMs) for the
treatment of livestock animals, except pursuant to a
prescription or feed directive from a licensed veterinarian and
when, in the professional judgment of a licensed veterinarian,
the MIAMs are necessary: 1) to treat a disease or infection; 2)
to control the spread of disease or infection; or 3) in relation
to surgery or a medical procedure. This bill allows for
prophylaxis to prevent the elevated risk of disease transmission
or infection and forbids the use of MIAMs for growth promotion
and feed efficiency. Specifically, this bill:
1)In order to implement and monitor compliance with the MIAM
rules, the bill requires the California Department of Food and
Agriculture (CDFA) to:
a) Coordinate with the federal Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) to develop a program to track antimicrobial drug
sales, use, resistance, and management practices; and,
b) Develop antimicrobial stewardship guidelines on good
management practices in consultation with the Veterinary
Medical Board (VMB), the California Department of Public
Health (DPH), universities, and cooperative extensions;
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and,
c) Conduct outreach and training, and report to the
Legislature by January 1, 2019, the results of outreach and
monitoring activities.
FISCAL EFFECT: According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee, this bill has:
1)Estimated General (GF) and Special Fund (SF) costs of
approximately $864,000 in 2015-16 and $4.8 million in 2016-17
to develop programs, stewardship guidelines, monitoring
systems and procedures, and regulations, as well as begin
training, inspections, and MIAMs use tracking. Annual GF and
SF costs of approximately $4.3 million thereafter to continue
training, inspections, and tracking. Some of these costs may
be funded from federal and local sources, and potentially
offset in part with civil fine revenue.
2)Potentially significant costs to VMB and DPH to help develop
stewardship guidelines and training materials.
COMMENTS: Antimicrobial drugs have been widely used in human
medicine since the 1940s. Antimicrobial drugs have significant
health benefits in both human and animal medicine, and are
important and valuable tools used to treat and prevent illness
and infection. Incidences of antimicrobial resistance have been
recorded over time and, if left unchecked, pose a threat to
public health.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates
that in the United States, more than two million people are
sickened every year with antibiotic-resistant infections, with
at least 23,000 infections resulting in death. CDC notes that
the use of antibiotics is the single most important factor
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leading to antibiotic resistance around the world. Up to 50% of
all antibiotics prescribed for people are either not needed or
not optimally effective as prescribed. Antibiotics are also
used in food-producing animals for the purpose of promoting
growth, which CDC recommends phasing out.
The FDA has issued several industry recommendations regarding
the use of MIAMs in the feed and drinking water of
food-producing animals. The recommendations contained in
Guidance for Industry #152, #213, and #219 establish lists of
antibiotics important to human health, promote judicious use of
those drugs in food production, and encourage veterinary
oversight to ensure compliance with industry best practices.
In March 2015, President Obama issued a national action plan on
combating antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The five-year action
plan articulated goals of slowing the emergence of resistant
bacteria, strengthening surveillance efforts, advancing the
development and use of rapid diagnostics to identify resistant
bacteria, accelerate development of new antibiotics, treatments,
and vaccines, and improve collaboration among stakeholders. For
antimicrobial use in food animals, the plan seeks to implement
FDA guidance.
According to the author, overuse and misuse of antibiotics in
livestock animals, especially antibiotics important in human
medicine, contributes to antibiotic resistance. To address the
overuse and misuse, this bill is intended to ensure veterinary
oversight; encourage judicious use of MIAMS and prohibit use for
growth promotion and other nontherapeutic purposes; and, monitor
MIAM sales, usage, management practices, and resistance.
According to supporters, many antimicrobials used in food
production are currently available at feed stores and online,
without any veterinary prescription or oversight and this bill
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will stop this practice along with making all use of MIAMs
require a prescription. Furthermore, supporters argue the
prophylactic use exception has been carefully crafted for
judicious use of MIAMs, and the bill explicitly forbids MIAM use
for growth promotion and feed efficiency.
While recent amendments removed much of the opposition, those
still opposed argue this bill explicitly authorizes the routine
use of antibiotics on animals that are not sick through the
exception for prophylactic use to prevent disease transmission
or infection. Opponents fear prophylactic use will allow back
door use for nontherapeutic purposes, and is precisely the
low-dose use that contributes most to resistant bacteria.
Furthermore, opponents assert that surveillance of MIAM use in
food animal production needs to be mandatory.
Analysis Prepared by:
Victor Francovich / AGRI. / (916) 319-2084 FN:
0002319