SB 496

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.