Committee approves bill to raise fee caps, retain interest for Idaho Brand Board to address shortfall

Cody Berlisle, director of the Idaho Brand Board and Idaho State Brand Inspector, presented Senate Bill 1016 to the Senate Agricultural Affairs Committee and said the legislation would raise statutory fee caps and allow the Brand Board to retain interest on its dedicated fund to address a multi-year shortfall.

The bill, developed through a stakeholder working group of industry groups, would adjust fee caps in Idaho Code (Title 25, Chapter 11) governing brand inspection and recording. Berlisle told the committee the Brand Board verified ownership on about 2,200,000 head of livestock last year, recovered and returned livestock valued at more than $250,000, and prevented more than $600,000 in questionable ownership distributions. He said the board achieved a 98% return rate on livestock that are found and that the board collected and processed more than $3,300,000 in assessment fees for other commodity and animal boards.

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