AB 885

Current law allows the Department of Natural Resources to manage and

provide funding to conduct testing for chronic wasting disease in cervids, which are

any species of deer or elk that are present in the wild and are not farm-raised deer.

Currently, DNR administers a program under which it provides self-service chronic

wasting disease sampling kiosks where hunters may drop off deer carcass for

sampling. This bill codifies this program by requiring DNR to establish and

administer it and provides $200,000 in the 2023-25 fiscal biennium for the program.

The bill allows DNR to contract with private entities to conduct the sampling and to

pay private entities per sample taken.