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HB1628 • 2026

White-tailed deer; prohibit certain requirements for CWD testing and registration fees for certain enclosures.

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 49-7-58.1, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROHIBIT ANY REGISTRATION FEE FOR ANY ENCLOSURE CONTAINING WHITE-TAILED DEER THAT PREVENTS THE FREE EGRESS OF WHITE-TAILED DEER FROM THE ENCLOSED AREA; TO REMOVE THE REQUIREMENTS FOR CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE TESTING FOR DEER WITHIN SUCH ENCLOSURE; TO AMEND SECTION 49-7-58.2, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REMOVE PROVISIONS REGARDING SAMPLING DEER HARVESTED OR DYING FROM NATURAL CAUSES WITHIN AN ENCLOSURE; TO REPEAL SECTION 49-7-58.6, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, WHICH IS THE PROVISION OF LAW THAT REQUIRES WHITE-TAILED DEER HARVESTED WITHIN ANY ENCLOSURE TO BE TESTED FOR CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

Did Not Pass

The latest official action shows that this bill did not move forward in that session.

Sponsor
Fondren
Last action
2026-02-03
Official status
Dead
Effective date
July 1, 20

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

White-tailed Deer Enclosures; Remove Fees and Testing Requirements

This bill removes registration fees for white-tailed deer enclosures that prevent free movement out of the enclosure and eliminates chronic wasting disease testing requirements for deer within these enclosures.

What This Bill Does

  • Removes any registration fee requirement for enclosures containing white-tailed deer that do not allow the deer to leave freely.
  • Eliminates the need for chronic wasting disease (CWD) testing of deer inside such enclosures, including those that died naturally within breeding pens.
  • Repeals a law requiring deer harvested from any enclosure to be tested for CWD.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Owners and operators of white-tailed deer enclosures in Mississippi.

Terms To Know

Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD)
A fatal disease that affects the nervous system of deer, elk, and moose.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill did not pass in its session.
  • It does not specify what happens to existing regulations or fees for enclosures that allow free egress of deer.

Bill History

  1. 2026-02-03 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System

    02/03 (H) Died In Committee

  2. 2026-01-19 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System

    01/19 (H) Referred To Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks

Official Summary Text

White-tailed deer; prohibit certain requirements for CWD testing and registration fees for certain enclosures.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
H. B. No. 1628 *HR26/R2150* ~ OFFICIAL ~ G1/2
26/HR26/R2150
PAGE 1 (MCL\KW)

To: Wildlife, Fisheries and
Parks
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Representative Fondren

HOUSE BILL NO. 1628

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 49-7-58.1, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, 1
TO PROHIBIT ANY REGISTRATION FEE FOR ANY ENCLOSURE CONTAINING 2
WHITE-TAILED DEER THAT PREVENTS THE FREE EGRESS OF WHITE-TAILED 3
DEER FROM THE ENCLOSED AREA; TO REMOVE THE REQUIREMENTS FOR 4
CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE TESTING FOR DEER WITHIN SUCH ENCLOSURE; TO 5
AMEND SECTION 49-7-58.2, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REMOVE 6
PROVISIONS REGARDING SAMPLING DEER HARVESTED OR DYING FROM NATURAL 7
CAUSES WITHIN AN ENCLOSURE; TO REPEAL SECTION 49-7-58.6, 8
MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, WHICH IS THE PROVISION OF LAW THAT 9
REQUIRES WHITE-TAILED DEER HARVESTED WITHIN ANY ENCLOSURE TO BE 10
TESTED FOR CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 11
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 12
SECTION 1. Section 49-7-58.1, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 13
amended as follows: 14
49-7-58.1. (1) The owner of any enclosure containing 15
white-tailed deer that prevents the free egress of white-tailed 16
deer from the enclosed area shall notify and register with the 17
Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks. The person shall 18
give his name, the location of the enclosure, the acreage within 19
the enclosure, and whether any deer have been imported into the 20
state and placed in the enclosure, and any other information 21
required by the Commissioner on Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks. 22
H. B. No. 1628 *HR26/R2150* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR26/R2150
PAGE 2 (MCL\KW)

The department shall not charge any registration fee for such 23
enclosure. 24
(2) Persons who constructed an enclosure prior to July 1, 25
2003, shall have until January 1, 2004, to notify and provide the 26
information required under this section. The person shall use 27
acceptable hunting and wildlife management practices as may be 28
determined by the department. 29
(3) Except as otherwise provided in this subsection (3), the 30
owner of such an enclosure shall comply with all rules and 31
regulations promulgated by the Commission on Wildlife, Fisheries 32
and Parks * * *. 33
The department shall not require chronic wasting disease 34
testing of white-tailed deer inside such enclosure, including 35
those deer whose mortality was due to natural causes within 36
breeding pens, or to submit samples of such deer from within the 37
enclosure for chronic wasting disease testing. 38
(4) Violations of this section shall be punishable as 39
provided in Section 49-7-58.6. 40
SECTION 2. Section 49-7-58.2, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 41
amended as follows: 42
49-7-58.2. (1) The Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and 43
Parks shall develop and implement a program for inspecting, 44
monitoring, testing and preventing chronic wasting disease. * * * 45
H. B. No. 1628 *HR26/R2150* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR26/R2150
PAGE 3 (MCL\KW)
ST: White-tailed deer; prohibit certain
requirements for CWD testing and registration
fees for certain enclosures.
SECTION 3. Section 49-7-58.6, Mississippi Code of 1972, 46
which requires white-tailed deer harvested within any enclosure to 47
be tested for chronic wasting disease, is repealed. 48
SECTION 4. This act shall take effect and be in force from 49
and after July 1, 2026. 50