The bill, S.B. No. 2031, amends the Parks and Wildlife Code to establish new regulations regarding the removal of fences surrounding breeder deer release sites. It introduces two new subsections, (c) and (d), which outline the conditions under which a landowner may remove such a fence. Specifically, the landowner must wait at least five years since the last release of breeder deer, notify adjacent landowners of their intention to remove the fence, ensure that the site has minimal connection to any facility with chronic wasting disease, and obtain certification from the department that no deer from the site have been linked to positive disease tests.

Furthermore, the bill stipulates that the department can only provide the necessary certification if it has a high confidence level regarding the absence of chronic wasting disease at the site, with specific thresholds of 95% or 99% confidence based on the prevalence of the disease and the site's compliance with regulations. This legislation aims to ensure the safe management of deer populations while allowing landowners to remove fences under controlled conditions. The bill is set to take effect on September 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Parks and Wildlife Code 43.361 (Parks and Wildlife Code 43)