***Immediate Action Needed***
The Honorable State Representative Scott Suder, Wisconsin's 69th Assembly District, has submitted a bill, LRB 2259/1, Voluntary Livestock Premise Registrations, to his colleagues in the Wisconsin Senate and Wisconsin Assembly for co-sponsorship. This bill, if passed, will make Wisconsin's premise registration voluntary instead of mandatory.
We are asking you to call, fax, and/or mail your Wisconsin Senator and Assembly person immediately to ask him or her to co-sponsor this bill. The more co-sponsors that it has, the better its chance of making it out of sub-committee, committee, and then passing in the Assembly; after which, it must go through the same process in the Senate. We have until Wednesday, April 15th at 5:00 pm to get co-sponsors for this bill.
You can read the bill by clicking the link located on our home page and you can review the email that the Honorable State Representative Scott Suder sent to his colleagues asking for their co-sponsorship.
To: All Legislative Colleagues
From:
State Representative Scott Suder
Re: Co-Sponsorship of
LRB 2259/1, Voluntary Livestock Premise
Registrations
On behalf of several family farmers in my district
who have been prosecuted by the Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer
Protection (DATCP) for their unwillingness to register their farms with the
state, I am offering legislation that would make premise registrations
voluntary, rather than mandatory in Wisconsin.
DATCP currently requires any person who keeps livestock to register their premise and provide a description of the operation and the types of animals raised at the location to the state. The department has the authority under current law to create exemptions to the premise registration requirements through the rules process. Unfortunately, despite promises to the contrary when the Premise Registration Act first passed the Legislature, DATCP has chosen not to allow any exemptions to premise registrations in Wisconsin.
The result of this mandate being forced on all farmers and ag producers, regardless of the size of their operations or religious beliefs that prevent them from participating, has led to a series of ongoing legal battles pitting DATCP against small family farmers who are fighting to protect their livelihoods and their way of life. At a time when many family farms are struggling to keep the barn doors open, now is not the time to be threatening farmers who choose not to register their farms with a lawsuit. In an economic crisis, where every job counts and every business matters, we should be doing everything we can to protect our small farmers, not threatening them with lawsuits that could very well put them out of business.
Wisconsin is one of only two states that require mandatory premise registrations. In fact, five states including Utah, Arizona, Kentucky, Missouri, and Nebraska have adopted laws banning mandatory premise and animal identifications as part of the National Animal Identification System (NAIS). Illinois, Arkansas, Montana, and Texas are considering similar proposals. Even the US Department of Agriculture strongly believes that the best approach to premises registration is a “voluntary” system led by the states.
If you would like to join me in co-sponsoring LRB-2259/1, relating to making livestock premise registrations voluntary, please contact my office via e-mail or phone at 7-0280 by Wednesday, April 15th at 5 pm.
Thank you!
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Current law generally requires a person who keeps livestock at a location in this state to register the location with the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP). The law authorizes DATCP to create exemptions from the registration requirement by rule. A person who is required to register must provide information to DATCP, including information about the type of livestock kept and the type of livestock operation being conducted at each location. DATCP assigns a premises identification code to each location that is registered. The system for assigning codes must be designed to facilitate disease control and must comply with any federal standards. DATCP must generally keep confidential the information provided by registrants, but may disclose that information if it determines that disclosure is necessary to prevent or control disease.
This bill makes the livestock premises registration program voluntary.