ANIMAL INDUSTRY ACT                                                     H.B. 5653 (S-1): FLOOR ANALYSIS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

House Bill 5653 (Substitute S-1 as reported) Sponsor: Representative Carl F. Gnodtke House Committee: Agriculture and Forestry Senate Committee: Agriculture and Forestry

 

CONTENT

 

The bill would amend the Animal Industry Act to regulate the importation of aquaculture into this State by requiring a prior entry permit from the Director of the Department of Agriculture and one of the following: an official interstate health certificate, an official interstate certificate of veterinary inspection, or a fish disease inspection report. The bill also would:

 

--  Permit the Director, in addition to current options concerning illegally imported livestock, to order the destruction of the livestock (without indemnification); allow direct movement of an animal to slaughter by permit; or allow legal importation into another state.

--  Prohibit a person from importing an animal species from an area under quarantine for that species unless permission were granted by the Director.

--  Increase from $1,000 to $1,250 the maximum amount of State indemnification per animal for slaughtered livestock; allow the Department to provide for up to $10,000 in indemnification from any line item in the Department’s budget; and provide that indemnification over $10,000 would be subject to legislative appropriations.

--   Prohibit a person from feeding swine, or exposing swine to, garbage, offal, or carcasses.

--   Revise provisions concerning the importation and movement of poultry.

--   Revise requirements regarding fairs and exhibitions, particularly concerning swine.

--   Allow the Director to recover costs and attorney fees incurred in prosecutions under the Act.

--   Authorize the Director to impose an administrative fine for violations of the Act.

--   Require the Department to keep a data base of captive cervidae premises.

 

MCL 287.703 et al.                                                                        Legislative Analyst: S. Margules

 

FISCAL IMPACT

 

The Department of Agriculture would incur minimal costs to provide for approvals for (1) importation of animals under quarantine; (2) transport of cattle with certain diseases; and (3) promulgation of administrative rules. There would be no additional cost for permitting the indemnification of destroyed animals as that is currently allowed pursuant to the annual appropriation/budget acts and the Department is already maintaining a data base on captive cervidae. There would be additional revenue to the State of about $5,000 per year from administrative fines. This assumes five fines of $1,000 each.

 

There would be no fiscal impact on local governments.

 

Date Completed: 5-17-96                                                                             Fiscal Analyst: A. Rich

 

 

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This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.