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Senate Committee Passes Bill Relating To Brand Board

Lee Strubinger
/
SDPB

The Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee advances a bill that allows the South Dakota Brand Board to accept livestock inspection requests in East River. 

The current state brand inspection area includes all West River counties.
 
Jeremiah Murphy with the South Dakota Stockgrowers Association is in favor of Senate Bill 156.  Murphy says the bill also helps East River producers work with statewide brand inspection requirements in North Dakota. 
 
He says Section One of the bill gives the South Dakota Brand Board flexibility when dealing with requests.
 

"The board may inspect in the state located outside the livestock ownership inspection area. There are no conditions on the board in that case. It's entirely at the board's discretion. So, if they have a reason ranging from there's just no business for them to do an inspection to the don't have the staff available for whatever reason they can say I'm sorry I can't help you. But, if they can, they can. I really want to stress this is a light touch. In our view, I don't believe you'll hear any opposition. You know, you talk about policy and procedure. This isn't policy. This is not a change in policy, it's a change in procedure, Murphy says."

 
Murphy says the legislation also allows law enforcement to ask for a state inspection when a criminal investigation is not opened.   
 
Senate Bill 156 also creates an East River inspection fee of one dollar for each head of livestock. That's the same amount paid by ranchers in West River. 
 
Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources moves the bill to the full chamber on a unanimous vote.