Grants the department of agriculture and markets the exclusive authority to regulate cervid (deer and elk) farms

1 Co-sponsor

• Patty Ritchie

BILL NUMBER:S5767

Title of bill

An act to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to granting the department of agriculture and markets the sole authority to regulate cervid farms

Purpose

This legislation will improve annual reporting, by removing duplicative reporting requirements and provide cost savings while reducing the work load on cervid farmers and the Department of Environmental Conservation.

Summary of provisions

Section One - amends Section 16 of the agriculture and markets law by adding a new subdivision 47 to grant the authority regulate and oversee all cervid farms in the state of New York to the Department of Agriculture and Markets.

Justification

Currently, cervid farmers are regulated by two state agencies, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets. Both agencies require annual reports from cervid farmers for the purpose of regulating the control and spread of disease.

This legislation will reduce redundancy and decrease the cost of doing business for farmers by allowing the Department of Agriculture and Markets to solely collect reports and test cervid animals. This legislation will save the State money by eliminating the administrative cost of the DEC collecting duplicate reports and tests on cervids that have already been regulated by the Department of Agriculture and Markets.

The Department of Agriculture and Markets is better suited to regulate farm cervids, as their agency is the lead agency for disease prevention and control. The DEC serves more as a tool for law enforcement regulation of wild animals, which does not pertain to domestic cervid farmers

Legislative history

This is a new bill.

Fiscal implications

Savings to the State of New York.

Effective date

This legislation will take effect immediately.