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Senate Agriculture Committee advances four bills on livestock, feedlots and aquaculture amendment
Summary
In an executive session, the Senate Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation Committee voted to advance SB78, SB79 and SB80 by voice vote and passed SB161 as amended to exclude private fish ponds and hatcheries from the definition of aquaculture facilities.
The Senate Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation Committee met in executive session and advanced four bills, voting by voice on each measure and recording a small number of proxy votes.
Committee staff summarized Senate Bill 78 as a measure "generally revising laws related to the inspection and marking of hides and meat of slaughtered animals, eliminating the requirement that each dressed carcass of a slaughtered animal must be stamped," and revising bill-of-sale requirements. A member moved to pass SB78; the committee approved the motion by voice, with Senator McCain and Senator Newman recorded as voting aye by proxy.
Senate Bill 79, described by staff as a bill "repealing inspection requirements and penalties related to dead animals in feedlots," was taken up next. After brief procedural discussion, the committee voted by voice and the motion passed; proxies for McCain and Newman were again recorded.
The committee also approved Senate Bill 80, which staff said "authorizes that a person may exhibit a digital copy of required documentation for transportation of livestock," by voice vote.
The most substantive action involved Senate Bill 161, a proposal to regulate the sale and operation of aquaculture. Committee members adopted a sponsor-requested, friendly amendment clarifying that a private fish pond or fish hatchery is not included in the definition of an aquaculture facility. As one committee speaker explained, the amendment "assures that a private fish pond or fish hatchery is not included in the definition of an aquaculture facility" and, in a colloquial aside, said it was intended "so that, quote, the shrimp guy can do his thing." The amended bill was then approved by voice vote.
Committee members used voice votes throughout the session; no roll-call tallies were recorded on the transcript. Several members were noted as voting by proxy on multiple measures. The committee adjourned after the final passage.
