Committee approves amended bill clarifying premises identification authority; Stockmen and board seek wording tweaks

The Senate Agriculture and Veterans Affairs Committee voted to recommend Senate Bill 2087 as amended after testimony clarifying who may issue premises identification numbers and concerns about ambiguous language in the draft.

State Veterinarian Dr. Ethan Andress said the bill "is intended to clarify the responsibilities of the State Board of Animal Health as it relates to animal identification and the Stockman Association's authority for premises identification for cattle, horses, and mules." He explained that a USDA‑APHIS premises identification number functions like a ‘‘social security number’’ for a parcel of land and that the state also uses a land identification (LID) number for state programs. He said there is currently no federal funding for states to issue those premise numbers and that producers may obtain a premises ID through the state or the Stockmen's Association for certain species.

Julie Ellingson of the North Dakota Stockmen's Association testified in favor but asked the committee to remove the phrase "or an authorized administrator" in two places because it creates ambiguity: the association and the Board of Animal Health already collaborate and the Stockmen's Association has long-held statutory responsibilities for brand administration. Individuals and one caller in opposition also urged removing the underscored phrase.

Committee members discussed whether to preserve the line that names the Stockmen’s Association as the "state administrator" while striking the later phrases that could be read to permit other, undefined administrators. At the committee’s direction, Senator Yana Meridahl moved an amendment to strike "or an authorized administrator" on the cited lines; the amendment passed on roll call. The committee then voted to recommend a do-pass on SB 2087 as amended.

Testimony clarified several practical points: there is currently no charge for requesting a premises ID, a premises ID remains associated with a location indefinitely, and federal 840 tags must be associated with a premises ID when used for interstate programs. The committee discussion distinguished premises identification (registration of locations) from animal identification (tags and animal-level records), the latter remaining a Board of Animal Health responsibility.

The committee’s amendment narrows the bill’s language to avoid creating a new, undefined administrator role while preserving the Stockmen's Association’s statutorily recognized role for certain species. The amended bill now moves forward with the committee’s recommendation.