Skip to main content Skip to office menu Skip to footer
Capital IconMinnesota Legislature

Bill targets deadly deer disease with tighter proposed restrictions on farms

Deer populations are under threat by chronic wasting disease, a deadly disease that can spread from one animal to another.

It's been found in 29 states, including Minnesota.

Rep. Jamie Becker-Finn (DFL-Roseville) sponsors HF1202, a package of proposals directed at cervid farms with a goal of curbing the spread of the disease. Its provisions include tighter fencing, testing, and reporting requirements.

The bill would also put a moratorium on licenses for white-tailed deer farms. 

One of 500,000 deer hunters in the state, Becker-Finn says her primary source of protein is venison.

“The idea that deer who are infected with CWD – because of the things we’re not taking care of now ­– would not be safe for my family to eat. That is my biggest fear,” Becker-Finn said.

Tuesday, the House Agriculture Finance and Policy Committee adopted an sponsor’s amendment and two others before approving the bill and sending it to the House Judiciary Finance and Civil Law Committee.

Among other things the bill would:

  • make public the location of cervid farms;
  • require annual live-animal testing of all farmed white-tailed deer;
  • give sole authority for regulating white-tailed deer to the Department of Natural Resources; and
  • restrict movement of live cervid and cervid semen in some cases.

Saying the state needs to help farmers who are caught in a bad situation, Rep. John Burkel (R-Badger) unsuccessfully offered an amendment that would have appropriated $11.1 million for a voluntary buyout program.

Representing the Minnesota Deer Farmers Association, Tim Spreck calls the bill an industry killer with costly provisions that wouldn’t do much to slow or stop the disease’s spread. Some farmers would have to spend up to $100,000 to meet fencing requirements, he told the House Environment and Natural Resources Committee earlier this session.

Moreover, some in the industry believe farms could contribute to management of chronic wasting disease by breeding genetic resistance into their herds.

However, Becker-Finn said interfering with the genetics of wild animals is bad policy.


Related Articles


Priority Dailies

House passes tax package that includes rebate checks, $1 billion in new revenues
Rep. Aisha Gomez and House Majority Leader Jamie Long talk during a break in the May 20 debate on HF1938, the tax finance and policy bill. (Photo by Catherine Davis) Is it the largest tax cut in Minnesota history? Or the biggest tax hike the state has ever experienced? Could it be both? That’s the crux of the debate about the conference ...
House passes finalized cannabis legalization bill, sends it to Senate
A supporter of cannabis legalization demonstrates in front of the Capitol in 2021. The House repassed a bill to legalize recreational cannabis, as amended in conference committee, May 18 and sent HF100 to the Senate. (House Photography file photo) The House gave the green light to adult-use recreational cannabis Thursday. “The day has finally arrived. Today is the day that we are going to vote here in the House for th...

Minnesota House on Twitter