AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 44 and Title 58, relative to animals.
Summary
SB1058 amends Tennessee’s animal health statutes to change the authority of the state veterinarian/commissioner over animal testing and vaccination orders. Under the bill, the commissioner may still recommend tests or vaccinations for animals in Tennessee or imported into the state to protect animal health, but any order requiring a specific test or vaccination would need prior approval from the Joint Government Operations Committee of the House and Senate. The bill also removes a separate statutory subdivision in Section 44-2-102, narrowing the existing framework for administrative action in this area.
The bill further revises the law governing indemnity payments for animals destroyed under the chapter. Instead of a fixed statutory approach, the commissioner would be directed to establish indemnity procedures by rule, with compensation based on factors including the animal’s value and the availability of funds. The measure would take effect immediately upon becoming law, citing the public welfare as the reason.
Impact
If enacted, SB1058 would limit executive branch discretion in ordering animal tests or vaccinations by requiring legislative committee approval for each specific mandated test or vaccine. It would also shift indemnity administration for destroyed animals from a more direct statutory structure to rulemaking by the commissioner, potentially affecting livestock owners, animal producers, and state animal-health enforcement programs. The bill would amend Tennessee Code Annotated Title 44, which governs animals and livestock-related health measures.
Sentiment
The available voting history suggests the bill faced opposition in committee and did not advance there, failing in the Senate Energy, Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee by a 3-6 vote. With no transcript excerpts available, the record indicates a generally negative or skeptical reception among committee members, likely reflecting concerns about the bill’s restrictions on animal-health authority or its administrative changes to indemnity procedures.
Contention
The main point of contention appears to be the requirement that each specific ordered test or vaccination receive prior approval from the Joint Government Operations Committee, which could be viewed as a significant constraint on rapid animal-health response. Another likely area of disagreement is the shift to rule-based indemnity procedures, including the role of available funds in determining compensation for destroyed animals. These provisions would affect the commissioner, livestock owners, and potentially public-health or agricultural officials responsible for disease control.
AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39, Chapter 14; Title 40, Chapter 39; Title 43; Title 44 and Title 53, relative to the treatment of animals.
AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39, Chapter 14; Title 40, Chapter 39; Title 43; Title 44 and Title 53, relative to the treatment of animals.