This bill amends the Parks and Wildlife Code to establish new regulations regarding the assessment, destruction, and release of certain deer. A significant addition is the introduction of Section 43.3635, which allows breeder deer that receive a negative test result during an epidemiological assessment to be released onto a designated site within 14 days of the test result. Additionally, the bill modifies Section 43.953(a) to require that an agent of the animal health commission must conduct an epidemiological assessment before any deer can be destroyed, and it mandates that a positive test result must be obtained using the least intrusive method feasible, with specific restrictions on the type of tissue tested.

Further changes include the requirement for the department to consider the results of the assessment conducted before destruction, and the notice requirements under Section 43.954(b) have been updated to specify that the notice must include the results of the epidemiological assessment relevant to the deer in question. The bill also mandates that the Parks and Wildlife Commission adopt or amend rules to align with these changes. The act will take effect immediately upon receiving a two-thirds vote from both houses or on September 1, 2025, if that vote is not achieved.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Parks and Wildlife Code 43.953, Parks and Wildlife Code 43.954 (Parks and Wildlife Code 43)