Minnesota Senate Bill SF739

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/27/25
• Refer: 1/27/25

Caption

Importation of live Cervidae permission to certain accredited facilities

Summary

SF739 amends Minnesota’s cervidae importation law to create targeted exceptions to the general prohibition on importing live deer, elk, and related species from places where chronic wasting disease (CWD) has been detected in the last five years. Under current law, live cervidae from affected jurisdictions are generally barred unless they meet testing and herd-certification requirements. The bill preserves those disease-control rules but exempts certain transfers involving Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA)-accredited facilities and related accredited exhibition/animal programs. The bill also authorizes the commissioner of natural resources to issue a permit for importing orphaned wild cervid species that are not susceptible to CWD into an AZA-accredited Minnesota institution, if a joint risk-based assessment supports the import. In effect, the bill narrows the reach of the import ban for specific zoological, conservation, and animal-care settings while leaving the broader CWD protections in place for most other imports.

Impact

SF739 would amend Minnesota Statutes section 35.155, subdivision 12, by adding exceptions to the state’s cervidae import restrictions. It would affect importers, zoos, wildlife institutions, and regulated animal exhibitors by allowing certain interstate transfers that are currently prohibited or tightly restricted, provided the facilities meet accreditation and program-participation criteria. The bill also preserves enforcement authority by maintaining the commissioner’s power to seize and destroy illegally imported cervidae, while adding a new permitting pathway for certain orphaned, non-CWD-susceptible wild cervid species.

Sentiment

Based on the bill text and available context, the measure appears to be framed as a limited, technical adjustment rather than a broad policy reversal. The overall sentiment is likely supportive among proponents of zoo, conservation, and animal-management flexibility, because the bill creates narrow exceptions for accredited institutions while retaining disease safeguards. No committee transcript or vote record is available here, so there is no evidence of formal opposition or support in the provided materials beyond the bill’s targeted design.

Contention

The main point of contention is the balance between animal disease prevention and operational flexibility for accredited facilities. Supporters would likely emphasize that AZA accreditation, USDA licensing, species-survival participation, and risk-based review provide sufficient safeguards for controlled transfers and orphaned animals. Potential critics would likely focus on the possibility that any exception to Minnesota’s CWD import ban could increase disease-risk exposure or weaken a strict biosecurity regime. The dispute, if any, is therefore between conservation/zoo management interests and those prioritizing maximum restriction to prevent chronic wasting disease spread.