Brucellosis testing of milk, cream, and cattle and restrictions on moving or sale of American bison and other animal species

What it does

Summary by the Legislative Reference Bureau, the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.

Current law requires the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (department) to conduct testing of milk and cream at dairy plants at regular intervals in order to identify and limit incidents of bovine brucellosis. If milk or cream tests positive for brucellosis, certain cattle and American bison must be subjected to blood tests for brucellosis. This testing requirement derives, in part, from United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulations; the USDA recently modified its regulations to eliminate the frequency of brucellosis testing in this state and other states in which no brucellosis has been identified for five or more years. This bill repeals the bovine brucellosis milk and cream and blood testing requirements.

Current law also prohibits, with certain exceptions, a person from moving or selling an American bison, or animal of another species identified by the department by rule, born on or after June 1, 1984, unless it is accompanied by a report of a complete negative brucellosis test conducted within 30 days prior to movement. This bill eliminates this prohibition.

Who's behind it

Dale Schultz, a Republican, is its author⁠.

7 more lawmakers signed on in support⁠.

What it would cost

State agencies filed a cost estimate. Each opens as a PDF from the Legislature.

• Fiscal Estimate From DATCP