SB 994

Under current law, a person who keeps farm-raised deer must be registered

with the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection and, if keeping

white-tailed deer, must also obtain a fence inspection certificate from the

Department of Natural Resources. To obtain a DNR fence inspection certificate, a

farm-raised white-tailed deer keeper must meet certain fencing requirements;

keepers may choose between maintaining a double perimeter fence or a single solid

perimeter fence.

In addition, current DATCP rules require a farm-raised deer herd to be

enrolled in DATCP's chronic wasting disease (CWD) herd status program before a

live deer may be moved off the farm to a place other than to slaughter. To maintain

enrollment in the herd status program, the herd must be enclosed by a “double

protective barrier” if at least two wild deer found or killed within five miles of the

farm-raised deer herd have tested positive for CWD. A “double protective barrier”

may be either a double fence or a single solid barrier.

This bill provides that, if DNR or DATCP require a person to maintain a double

perimeter fence, install a second perimeter fence, or install a solid perimeter fence

around a deer farm, DNR must provide the person with a grant equal to the cost of

installing the second perimeter fence or solid perimeter fence.