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Senate approves law requiring officers to notify livestock owners of accident reports
Summary
First Substitute Senate Bill 114, which requires peace officers investigating accidents that injure or kill livestock to provide or advise owners on obtaining an accident report, passed the Senate and will move to third reading; sponsors said brand books and brand inspectors enable identification in rural areas.
The Utah Senate approved first substitute Senate Bill 114, a bill that requires law‑enforcement officers who investigate accidents resulting in injury or death of livestock to provide the animal’s owner a copy of the accident report or instructions on where to obtain it.
Senator Stoll, sponsor, said the measure addresses a recurring problem in rural Utah where owners may not learn that livestock was struck on a highway and can thus miss potential insurance recovery. "He can often collect insurance coverage on the cow if he knows about it and gets a copy of the accident report," Stoll said as he outlined the bill’s requirement that officers make arrangements to deliver or advise owners.
Questions from the floor addressed how officers identify owners. Senator O'Kraner and others asked how officers would find owner contact information; Senator Stoll and supporters pointed to brand books, brand inspectors and Department of Agriculture resources that are already used in rural counties. Senator Van Tassel told senators the brand book is now available online for easier lookup.
The Senate passed the first substitute on the roll call (28 yea, 0 nay, 1 absent) and placed the bill at the bottom of the third‑reading calendar.
Next steps: SB114 proceeds to third reading and, if passed, will impose a notification duty on peace officers investigating livestock-involved traffic accidents; sponsors expect local brand‑inspection processes to support implementation.
