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Senate adopts measure to protect personal information of people filing wildlife damage claims
Summary
Senate Bill 38 passed to shield names, business information and addresses of people who file compensation claims for livestock depredation; the bill preserves aggregate data for public reporting and passed with broad support from rural senators and ag representatives.
The Senate on Feb. 4 adopted Senate Bill 38, which shields the personal information of individuals and businesses that file claims for compensation related to wildlife damage while preserving aggregate data for public reporting.
Senator Roberts, the bill sponsor, said the measure responds to producers who are reluctant to file compensation claims because they fear their names and addresses could be released through public‑records requests and that they could be harassed. "What this bill does is says, the folks who fill out compensation requests, will have their name and business information protected and their address protected so that they feel comfortable filling out, a claim for what they are legally entitled to," Senator Roberts said on the floor.
Supporters from rural districts, including Senator Polton Bee, Senator Peltanar and Senator Catlin, described the bill as necessary to prevent harassment and to ensure producers claim the compensation to which they are entitled. The sponsor said amendments adopted in committee preserve aggregate data on payments so the public can still see how funds are distributed while protecting individual identities.
The measure passed on the floor by voice vote; the clerk announced "The ayes have it, and that bill is adopted." Several senators noted unanimous committee support prior to floor action.
The bill was discussed in the context of wolf reintroduction (Proposition 114) and compensation schemes created by law; the statute changes focus solely on exemption of identifying information for claimants when records are requested.
