Agriculture, Dept. of

Plain English Breakdown

The bill's status is withdrawn, which may affect its implementation.

Act for Indemnification of Destroyed Animals

This bill changes Tennessee's laws to require the state to pay indemnities based on the value of animals destroyed to prevent disease spread and to cover costs when the state disposes of dead animals.

What This Bill Does

• Requires the commissioner to create rules for paying compensation to owners whose animals are destroyed to stop diseases from spreading, with payments based on the animal's value if funds are available.
• Changes liability for disposing of dead animals ordered by state officials: now it will be the state instead of the owner.

Who It Names or Affects

• Farmers and livestock owners whose animals might need to be destroyed due to disease risks.
• The Tennessee Department of Agriculture, which oversees animal health regulations.

Terms To Know

Indemnity

Money paid by the government as compensation for losses or damages.

Sanitary Disposition

The proper and safe handling of dead animals to prevent disease spread.

Limits and Unknowns

• This bill does not provide specific funding; it only says that the state must pay if there are funds available.
• It is unclear how much money will be needed for these new requirements, or where this money would come from.

Official Summary Text

Present law authorizes the commissioner of agriculture and the state veterinarian to order the destruction and sanitary disposition of any animal, whenever, in the opinion of the state veterinarian, the interests of the state are best served by the destru
ction of that animal. Present law authorizes the commissioner to establish procedures for payment of indemnities for destroyed animals. Present law provides that the indemnities are not intended to be a full reimbursement but a partial compensation base
d
on, but not limited to, the value of the animal and the availability of funds for that purpose. This bill changes present law by requiring the commissioner to establish procedures for the indemnities and specifying that, subject to

the availability of funds, an indemnity payment
for a destroyed animal
must be based on, but is not limited to, the value of the destroyed animal.

Present law
authorizes the commissioner of agriculture and the state veterinarian to order the sanitary disposition of any dead animal. Present law provides that the owner of the animal is liable for its disposition. This bill changes present law by requiring the s
tate to be liable for the disposition of the dead animal.

Current Bill Text

<BillNo> <Sponsor>

SENATE BILL 1570
By Lowe
SB1570
010195
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 44,
relative to indemnification for destroyed animals.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 44-2-105, is amended by deleting the
section and substituting the following:
The commissioner shall promulgate rules that establish procedures for the
payment of indemnities for animals destroyed under the authority of this chapter.
Subject to the availability of funds, an indemnity payment under this section must be
based on, but is not limited to, the value of the destroyed animal. The commissioner
may deny an indemnification payment for an animal's owner who is in violation of this
part.
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 44-2-102(6), is amended by deleting
"owner of such animal" and substituting "state".
SECTION 3. This act is not an appropriation of funds, and funds must not be obligated
or expended pursuant to this act unless the funds are specifically appropriated by the general
appropriations act.
SECTION 4. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.