Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Testimony topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Farm Bureau and ranchers tell committee to preserve producer choice on pregnancy checks
Summary
Industry speakers urged clarity to let producers hire trained lay palpators where veterinarians aren't available; Farm Bureau supported statutory clarification rather than additional regulation, while other groups suggested disclosure, training and vet‑tech pathways.
Representatives from the Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation and multiple ranchers told the committee they favor clarifying statute to allow producers to hire trained lay palpators for pregnancy checking where access to veterinarians is limited. Karen Clark of the Farm Bureau told the committee the organization supports clarifying the current statute rather than adding regulations, saying producers want the freedom to choose who performs pregnancy checks and that many continue to maintain veterinarian relationships even when they hire lay palpators.
Ranchers and industry group representatives offered practical suggestions: automatic certification for university students who pass intensive courses, requiring disclosure at sale if pregnancy determinations were made by nonveterinarians, and considering vet‑tech licensing as a longer-term solution. "Our members support individual freedom and the opportunity to choose," Clark said. Multiple ranchers stressed that certified technicians must have the equipment and training to do the job properly and that rural access problems motivate the proposal.
