Hearing on bill to raise livestock brand recording fee from $25 to $50 draws support and opposition

The House Agriculture Committee held a hearing on Senate Bill 2,139, which would increase the fee to record or re-record a livestock brand from $25 to $50. Senator Dale Patton sponsored the bill; Julie Ellingson of the North Dakota Stockmen’s Association presented background and answered questions, and others from industry and advocacy groups offered both support and opposition testimony. No committee vote was recorded in the hearing portion captured here.

What supporters said: Julie Ellingson, speaking for the Stockmen’s Association, said the brand-recording program has not raised the fee in more than two decades and currently operates solely on fee revenue with no state appropriation. She said the five-year renewal cycle concentrates costs in renewal and grace years, and that rising operating costs—especially salaries and benefits for staff who process renewals—have strained the program’s small reserves. Ellingson said raising the fee to $50 would increase program stability; she cited roughly 20,000 registered brands in North Dakota and described the renewal process (mailings, signature verification, temporary staffing in renewal years, and brand-book production).

Brand board chair Joe Shetler, a rancher and the brand-board chair, told the committee the membership considered higher increases but settled on $50 after reviewing budgets and member feedback. Pete Hanover of the North Dakota Farm Bureau testified in support, noting long-standing industry backing for brand recording.

What opponents said: Several witnesses opposed or urged changes to the bill. Rancher Frank Tomac submitted audit extracts for 2020–2023 and presented a consolidated spreadsheet showing the brand-recording division posted net positive results across those years; he argued the program as a whole has excess revenue (he cited combined totals across brand inspection, recording and estrays) and said the fee increase was unnecessary. Sam Wagner of the Dakota Resource Council urged restraint and asked the committee to consider a smaller increase (for example, 20 percent) or an assurance that fees would not rise again for a period of years; he said ranchers would prefer predictability and less frequent fee increases.

Process questions and policy discussion: Committee members asked about alternatives to doubling the fee, such as staggering renewals or returning the program to a county-based model. Witnesses said North Dakota previously had a ten-year cycle and the legislature shortened it to five years to keep brands available for new producers. Ellingson and other supporters said staggering renewals would complicate producer reminders and statutory grace periods; opponents pointed to audit figures and asked for more concrete financial justification.

Practical details from testimony: The Stockmen’s Association explained a registered brand functions like a title for livestock, requires signatures from registered owners during renewal, and that a grace year protects an expired brand from being reassigned immediately. Supporters said a $50 fee would still leave North Dakota among the lower-fee jurisdictions when compared with other states and provinces that administer analogous programs.

Next steps: The hearing record closed with committee questions and no immediate vote in the excerpt provided. Committee members signaled differing views about fee increases and asked for additional financial detail and follow-up answers from the association and the department.