HB 1417 creates a new chapter in the Indiana Code establishing a chronic wasting disease pilot program for white-tailed deer, to be administered by the Department of Natural Resources and the Indiana State Board of Animal Health. The program is intended to enhance the genetic durability of Indiana’s deer population by collecting DNA samples from native free-range deer, establishing baseline genetic markers and breeding values, and allowing the sale of deer from certified chronic wasting disease herds under specified conditions.
Under the bill, the Board of Animal Health may issue annual permits that allow purchasers to buy white-tailed deer from chronic wasting disease certified herds during February, March, and April, with permit fees capped at $500. Sellers in the pilot program may only sell deer with a genomically estimated breeding value above a stated threshold and may only sell during the same seasonal window. Permit revenue is deposited into the captive cervidae programs fund and used to support the pilot program. The chapter expires January 1, 2034.
Impact
The bill amends IC 14-22 and IC 15-17 by adding a new chronic wasting disease pilot program chapter and by expanding the uses of the captive cervidae programs fund to cover administration of the new chapter and other disease-control programs for cervidae. It gives the Department of Natural Resources and the State Board of Animal Health rulemaking authority to implement the program, establishes permit requirements and fee limits, and creates a new regulatory framework affecting captive white-tailed deer owners, buyers, and the certified herd program. The committee amendment also changed the bill to make establishment of the program permissive rather than mandatory and removed a specific deadline, giving the agencies more discretion.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have generally favorable support in committee, passing the House Natural Resources Committee with a 9-1 vote after amendment. The committee action suggests broad agreement with the goal of addressing chronic wasting disease, while also indicating a preference for giving the agencies flexibility in how and when to establish the pilot program. No floor vote or broader public testimony is included in the provided materials, so the available record shows support but not a full statewide consensus.
Contention
The main point of contention appears to be the scope and timing of agency action. The committee amendment changed the bill from requiring the department to establish the program by a fixed date to allowing it to do so, which suggests concern about imposing a mandatory deadline or overly rigid implementation. The bill also regulates the sale of captive white-tailed deer through permits, seasonal restrictions, and genetic thresholds, which could be contentious for deer herd owners and breeders affected by the new compliance requirements. The lone dissenting committee vote indicates at least some disagreement, though the record does not identify the specific objection.