Section 391-N. Sale of reptiles; notice  


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  • 1. Any person, firm, partnership,
      association or corporation who or which sells reptiles at  retail  shall
      give  written  notice  to the purchaser of a reptile that reptiles are a
      potential  cause  of  salmonellosis.  Such  notice  shall  substantially
      contain the following language:
        (a)  As  with  many  other animals, reptiles carry salmonella bacteria
      which can make people sick. To reduce the chance  of  infection,  follow
      these safe reptile handling steps.
        (b)  Always  wash  your  hands  thoroughly  after  you handle your pet
      reptile, its food or anything it has touched.
        (c) Keep your pet reptile in a habitat designed for it.
        (d) Keep your pet reptile and its equipment out of the kitchen or  any
      area where food is prepared.
        (e) Keep reptiles out of homes where there are children under one year
      of  age  or  people  with  weakened  immune systems. Children under five
      should handle reptiles only with adult/parental guidance.
        2. Every proprietor who  or  which  conducts  a  business  of  selling
      reptiles at retail shall conspicuously post a warning poster on premises
      alerting  consumers that reptiles are a potential cause of salmonellosis
      and should be handled with care. The warning poster shall  be  available
      in two sizes, the smaller of which shall be eight and one-half inches by
      eleven  inches  and  the  larger  of  which  shall  be  eleven inches by
      twenty-five and one-half inches. The larger poster shall be utilized for
      posting unless because of limited wall space or store layout the  larger
      poster  cannot  fit  in a conspicuous spot near the reptile displays, in
      which case the smaller poster  may  be  used.  Such  poster  shall  have
      conspicuous  lettering  and  type  and  shall  substantially contain the
      following language:
        (a) As with many other animals,  reptiles  carry  salmonella  bacteria
      which  can  make  people sick. To reduce the chance of infection, follow
      these safe reptile handling steps.
        (b) Always wash your  hands  thoroughly  after  you  handle  your  pet
      reptile, its food or anything it has touched.
        (c) Keep your pet reptile in a habitat designed for it.
        (d)  Keep your pet reptile and its equipment out of the kitchen or any
      area where food is prepared.
        (e) Keep reptiles out of homes where there are children under one year
      of age or people with  weakened  immune  systems.  Children  under  five
      should handle reptiles only with adult/parental guidance.
        3.   Any   person,  firm,  partnership,  association,  corporation  or
      proprietor who or which violates the provisions of this section shall be
      subject to a civil penalty not to exceed fifty dollars for each  day  of
      the  violation, but in no event shall the total amount of such penalties
      exceed five hundred dollars.