Committee advances bill to raise fee caps, let Brand Board keep interest to shore up budget

Senate Bill 10 16, which would adjust fee caps for Idaho Brand Board services and allow the board to retain interest on its dedicated fund, was advanced to the Senate floor with a do-pass recommendation by the Agricultural Affairs Committee.

The bill’s sponsor and the Idaho State Brand Inspector told the committee the changes are intended to address a projected long-term funding shortfall for the board, which inspects and verifies livestock ownership across the state.

The Idaho Brand Board’s role and the need for change

"Idaho is home to more than 2,500,000 cattle," said Cody Berlisle, director for the Idaho Brand Board and Idaho State Brand Inspector. He told the committee that brand inspectors verified ownership of about 2,200,000 head of livestock last year, recovered and returned livestock valued at over $250,000, and prevented more than $600,000 in questionable ownership distributions. Berlisle said the board operates on dedicated funds, not general fund appropriations, and that those dedicated funds have lost purchasing power due to inflation.

Berlisle and other witnesses said fee-cap adjustments in the bill are the product of a…