SF0029 • 2023

Brucellosis management updates.

AN ACT relating to agriculture, livestock and other animals; amending the requirement to distinctly brand a livestock animal following a positive brucellosis test to be discretionary; updating the provisions for brucellosis testing of cattle; modifying the documentation requirements to receive compensation for brucellosis testing; requiring rulemaking; and providing for effective dates.

Agriculture

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor: Agriculture
Last action: 2023-02-24
Official status: enrolled
Effective date: 7/1/2023

Plain English Breakdown

The official bill text does not specify exact amounts of compensation or details about how it will be implemented.

Brucellosis Management Updates

This law changes how cattle with brucellosis are handled and tested, updates compensation rules for testing, and requires new rules to be made by the Wyoming Livestock Board.

What This Bill Does

Changes the rule that livestock must be branded after a positive brucellosis test to an optional choice.
Updates how cattle are tested for brucellosis in certain areas.
Modifies requirements for getting compensation when testing cattle for brucellosis.

Who It Names or Affects

Livestock owners and farmers who test their animals for brucellosis.
The Wyoming Livestock Board responsible for creating new rules.

Terms To Know

Brucellosis: A disease that affects cattle, causing them to lose weight and have problems with their reproductive system.
Livestock Board: The group in charge of making rules about livestock care and health in Wyoming.

Limits and Unknowns

Some parts of the law will take effect immediately, while others start on July 1, 2023.
It is not clear how much compensation farmers will receive for testing their cattle.

Bill History

2023-02-24 LSO
Assigned Chapter Number 79
2023-02-24 Governor
Governor Signed SEA No. 0041
2023-02-21 House
H Speaker Signed SEA No. 0041
2023-02-21 Senate
S President Signed SEA No. 0041
2023-02-17 LSO
Assigned Number SEA No. 0041
2023-02-17 House
H 3rd Reading:Passed 61-0-1-0-0
2023-02-16 House
H 2nd Reading:Passed
2023-02-15 House
H COW:Passed
2023-02-14 House
H Placed on General File
2023-02-14 House
H05 - Agriculture:Recommend Do Pass 9-0-0-0-0
2023-02-09 House
H Introduced and Referred to H05 - Agriculture
2023-01-13 House
H Received for Introduction
2023-01-13 Senate
S 3rd Reading:Passed 31-0-0-0-0
2023-01-12 Senate
S 2nd Reading:Passed
2023-01-11 Senate
S COW:Passed
2023-01-11 Senate
S Placed on General File
2023-01-11 Senate
S05 - Agriculture:Recommend Do Pass 4-0-1-0-0
2023-01-10 Senate
S Introduced and Referred to S05 - Agriculture
2022-12-28 Senate
S Received for Introduction
2022-12-05 LSO
Bill Number Assigned

Official Summary Text

Bill Summary - 23LSO-0136
Bill No.:

SF0029

Effective:

Multiple Dates

LSO No.:

23LSO-0136

Enrolled Act No.:

SEA No. 0041

Chapter No.:

79

Prime Sponsor:

Joint Agriculture, State and Public Lands & Water Resources Interim Committee

Catch Title:

Brucellosis management updates.

Subject:

Modifies the requirements and provisions for testing cattle for brucellosis.

Summary/Major Elements:

This act changes the requirement to brand cattle that test positive for brucellosis to be discretionary and updates terms related to a brucellosis surveillance program, including temporary surveillance areas and the establishment of a brucellosis mitigation plan.

This act modifies the requirements for providing documentation to the Wyoming Livestock Board related to compensation for brucellosis testing.

The documents must be submitted in a format and manner prescribed by rule of the Board.

The above summary is not an official publication of the Wyoming Legislature and is not an official statement of legislative intent.

While the Legislative Service Office endeavored to provide accurate information in this summary, it should not be relied upon as a comprehensive abstract of the bill.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

23LSO-0136

ORIGINAL Senate

File No
.
SF0029

ENROLLED ACT NO. 41,

SENATE

SIXTY-SEVENTH LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING
2023 General Session

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1.

W.S. 11
‑
19
‑
401 and 11
‑
19
‑
407(a) and (c) are amended to read:

11
‑
19
‑
401.

Tagging, branding and disposition of cattle reacting to test; penalties for failure to comply.

All livestock animals in Wyoming reacting to a confirmatory test for brucellosis (Bang's disease)
shall
may
be immediately permanently branded with a hot iron letter "B" on the left tailhead by or in the presence of an officially authorized veterinarian. All such reactor livestock animals shall be disposed of for slaughter or diagnostic purposes only, upon and according to written instruction from the Wyoming livestock board. Any person who violates any provision of this section shall be punished as provided in W.S. 11
‑
1
‑
103. As used in this section, "confirmatory test" means a test for brucellosis that has the specificity and sensitivity to verify the presence or absence of brucella abortus in animal serum or tissues and is used to confirm results from an initial brucellosis test.

11
‑
19
‑
407.

Brucellosis testing program.

(a)

The livestock board shall develop a brucellosis surveillance program in any designated surveillance area as defined by the livestock board and any
temporary surveillance
area
of concern
designated by the board and approved by the governor as an area where risk of exposure to documented infected wildlife is of concern. The program may be conducted with the help of veterinary practitioners and livestock auction markets. This program shall provide for the testing of livestock for brucellosis, for spaying heifers and for adult vaccinations only to the extent that may be reasonably necessary to maintain or to regain the brucellosis
‑
free status of the state of Wyoming. Compensation under this program for all purposes except mandatory testing or testing within
an
a temporary surveillance
area
of concern
as designated by the board and approved by the governor shall be pursuant to the terms of a
livestock herd
brucellosis mitigation
plan that has been entered into between the livestock producer and the Wyoming state veterinarian.

(c)

Payments under subsection (b) of this section shall be made monthly directly to accredited veterinarians who perform brucellosis testing, spaying, adult vaccinating and surveillance planning or to livestock auction markets that use their facilities and veterinarians to conduct brucellosis testing, spaying or adult vaccinating as mandated by rule of the Wyoming livestock board or the United States department of agriculture animal
and
plant
and
health inspection service. The payment shall be made upon
submission to
receipt by
the Wyoming livestock board of
a notarized invoice indicating the number of head tested, spayed or adult vaccinated, the ownership of the animals tested, spayed or adult vaccinated and the testing, spaying or adult vaccinating location
documentation in the format and manner specified by board rule
.

Section 2
.

The Wyoming livestock board shall promulgate all rules necessary to implement the provisions of this act no later than July 1, 2023.

Section 3
.

(a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, this act is effective July 1, 2023
.

(b) Sections 2 and 3 of this act are effective immediately upon completion of all acts necessary for a bill to become law as provided by Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming Constitution.

(END)

Speaker of the House

President of the Senate

Governor

TIME APPROVED: _________

DATE APPROVED: _________

I hereby certify that this act originated in the Senate.

Chief Clerk