EQUINE INFECTIOUS ANEMIA TESTING H.B. 4567:
FLOOR SUMMARY
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House Bill 4567 (as reported without amendment)
Sponsor: Representative Pat Somerville
House Committee: Agriculture
Senate Committee: Agriculture
CONTENT
The bill would amend the Animal Industry Act to re-enact provisions regarding testing for equine infectious anemia (EIA) that expired on January 1, 2011. The bill would:
-- Prohibit a person from moving equidae into Michigan from another state; entering equidae in exhibitions, expositions, or fairs; or changing the ownership and location of equidae within Michigan unless the equidae had an official EIA test with a negative result within the previous 12 months.
-- Require all equidae entering or on the premises of horse auctions or sales markets to have an official EIA test with a negative result within the previous 12 months of sale.
-- Require laboratories to report all EIA positive test results to the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD).
-- Require the owners of EIA test-positive equidae to provide certain records to MDARD.
-- Require MDARD, at its expense, to test all equidae located within a quarter-mile of the area where an EIA test-positive equine was or had been contained or in a larger area if required by the MDARD Director.
-- Specify laboratory and MDARD responsibilities after a positive EIA test result.
-- Prohibit destruction or removal of EIA test-positive equidae without approval of the MDARD Director, and specify identification requirements if a test-positive animal were not destroyed.
-- Specify movement restrictions for EIA test-positive equidae.
-- Permit MDARD to establish a voluntary program for an equidae identification card system funded by a fee charged to participants.
Proposed MCL 287.726a Legislative Analyst: Patrick Affholter
FISCAL IMPACT
The bill would require no additional costs for the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. The responsibilities outlined in the bill are essentially the same as those the Department has performed since 2001, when initial legislation requiring a system of EIA testing and monitoring began under Public Act 33 of 2001. While this Act was subject to sunset as of January 1, 2011, the Department reports that it has continued to provide resources to meet the requirements of the legislation, and would continue to provide necessary resources to meet very similar requirements proposed under House Bill 4567.
Date Completed: 6-30-11 Fiscal Analyst: Bruce Baker
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. hb4567/1112