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Committee adds four-year sunset to baiting/feeding restriction in Senate Bill 2137 amid CWD questions
Summary
Committee members debated baiting and feeding rules tied to chronic wasting disease (CWD) and agreed to add a four-year sunset to Senate Bill 2137, setting the sunset for July 31, 2029; committee approved the bill as amended by roll call (5–1).
The Agriculture and Veterans Affairs Committee debated the public-health and wildlife-management implications of baiting and feeding rules in Senate Bill 2137 and added a four-year sunset to the bill, placing the sunset date in July 2029.
Senator Weber (member, Agriculture and Veterans Affairs Committee) asked for clarification on the difference between year-round baiting and temporary feeding when tied to hunting seasons and raised questions about chronic wasting disease (CWD) and well-water or property impacts. Committee members discussed uncertainty in the evidence, the limited number of CWD cases reported in prior years, and the balance between property rights and disease control.
One senator proposed a temporary sunset so the law could be reviewed after a fixed period; the committee settled on a four-year sunset with an effective date that would result in statutes taking effect on Aug. 1, 2029 and a statutory sunset on July 31, 2029. The committee voted on the amendment to add the sunset clause and then voted to give SB 2137 a do-pass recommendation as amended. The clerk recorded a 5–1 vote on the final do-pass-as-amended recommendation. A roll-call exchange in the transcript identifies one member voting no; the transcript records that Senator Weber cast the single recorded no vote on the final passage as amended.
Why it matters: The amendment narrows the duration during which the new feeding/baiting rules would remain in force, allowing the Legislature to revisit the policy after several years of implementation and monitoring of CWD indicators and related concerns.
The committee instructed staff to draft the sunset language and discussed dates for statutory effect. Committee members noted that state wildlife authorities retain powers to act if an acute outbreak occurs. The committee approved the bill as amended and identified a committee carrier for subsequent floor action.
