Senate Bill 548 aims to enhance the management and testing for chronic wasting disease (CWD) in cervids by requiring the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to establish and administer a program that includes chronic wasting disease sampling stations. These stations will feature self-service kiosks where hunters can drop off deer carcass parts for testing. The bill allocates a total of $1,000,000 for the 2025-27 fiscal biennium to support this program, allowing DNR to contract with private entities for sampling services and to compensate them per sample taken.

The bill amends current law by adding a new section, 29.063 (7), which formalizes the establishment of the CWD sampling program, and it also modifies the existing appropriation language in 20.370 (1) (mu) to include funding specifically for this initiative. The fiscal changes include an increase of $500,000 for each of the fiscal years 2025-26 and 2026-27 to support the program. This legislative effort reflects a commitment to addressing the challenges posed by chronic wasting disease in Wisconsin's wildlife.

Statutes affected:
Bill Text: 20.370(1)(mu), 20.370