(a) The Department shall conduct mandatory annual maintenance training for licensed livestock meat inspectors and processing inspectors. The Department shall provide licensees with training information at least one month before scheduled training, including the location and dates of training classes throughout California.

(b) Each licensed livestock meat inspector and processing inspector shall be responsible for attending formal annual maintenance training provided by the Department. The training shall cover topics such as sanitation, ante- and post-mortem inspections and dispositions, humane handling and slaughter of livestock, product formulation and restricted ingredient control, pathogen reduction, microbiology, and current topics in meat and poultry processing and inspection.

(c) Failure of a livestock meat inspector or processing inspector to attend annual maintenance training, as specified in subsection (a) of this section shall be grounds for non-renewal, suspension, or revocation of the livestock meat inspector or processing inspector license.

(d) It is the responsibility of official establishment management and of licensed livestock meat inspectors and processing inspectors to make arrangements in the work schedule to attend annual maintenance training.