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House passes bill to allow termination of feral swine; sponsors and members debate pet protections and compensation
Summary
The House approved HB59 to allow termination of feral swine under specified conditions to protect agriculture. Lawmakers debated safeguards for pet pigs, prohibition on compensation, and whether federal agencies will collect swine for free.
The Utah House on Monday passed House Bill 59, a measure aimed at curbing feral swine populations that sponsors and agencies say are damaging agricultural lands.
Representative McKell, the bill sponsor, told the chamber the bill recognizes a growing problem in Utah and would permit individuals to terminate feral swine on private land with the owner’s consent and on public land after a reasonable inspection to ensure the animal is not conspicuously identified (for example, by an ear tag or brand). "Utah cannot barbecue its way out of the problems feral swine cause," the sponsor said, arguing the animals cause serious agricultural damage and public-harm risk if populations grow.
Several lawmakers questioned how the bill would treat domestic or pet pigs. Representative DeCaro asked about impacts on someone who might have a pig as a pet. The sponsor replied that the bill excludes swine that are conspicuously identified and that private-ground termination requires owner consent. Representative Anderson raised whether the bill’s prohibition on receiving compensation would prevent a landowner from paying someone to remove pigs; the sponsor responded that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Department of Agriculture will remove feral swine from private property free of charge, and that the prohibition is intended to avoid creating financial incentives to retain feral swine.
Supporters pointed to agency backing; Representative Thurston said he had consulted the Division of Wildlife Resources, Farm Bureau and other agencies and urged passage. Representative Hutchings described the bill as getting ahead of a potentially larger problem observed in other states.
After debate and a waived summation, the House approved HB59 as amended, 72–2. The bill will be transmitted to the Senate for consideration.
What happens next: HB59 will be transmitted to the Senate; members indicated they expect additional coordination with federal agencies and state departments on implementation.
