Purpose

• The bill aims to regulate the possession of live members of the deer family (Cervidae) in Minnesota by requiring registration and setting rules for ownership, transfer, and enforcement. It focuses on farmed cervids, especially whitetailed deer, and changes how new registrations and transfers are handled.

Main Provisions

• Mandatory registration for possession of live Cervidae

  • A person may not possess live Cervidae in Minnesota unless registered with the Board of Animal Health and meets all farmed Cervidae requirements.
  • If Cervidae are possessed without proper registration, the records and animals may be seized and destroyed by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

• Handling of revoked registrations

  • If the Board revokes a registration, the person becomes ineligible for future registration under this section unless the Board determines the person has taken steps that make future escapes extremely unlikely.

• Restrictions on new registrations for whitetailed deer

  • The Board must not allow new registrations under this section for possessing whitetailed deer.
  • This restriction does not prohibit selling or transferring a valid registration to an immediate family member. A registration may be transferred only once.
  • Before approving a sale or transfer, the Board must verify the registration is in good standing, and the eligible family member must pay a one-time transfer fee of $500 to the Board.

• Transfer mechanics and verification

  • Transfers to immediate family members are permitted only once, require the receiving person to be in good standing, and require the $500 transfer fee.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• Introduces a formal, mandatory registration system for people who possess live Cervidae, expanding state oversight of farmed cervids.
• Adds an enforcement mechanism that allows seizure and destruction of cervids kept without proper registration.
• Establishes consequences for revoked registrations (ineligibility for future registrations unless specific measures are taken).
• Prohibits new registrations specifically for whitetailed deer, effectively limiting new whitetailed deer ownership under this regulatory framework.
• Creates a transfer pathway to immediate family members with a one-time fee and a requirement to maintain good standing, introducing a controlled way to transfer ownership rather than an open sale.

Enforcement, Compliance, and Practical Effects

• State agencies involved:
  • Board of Animal Health: oversees registration status and transfer approvals; determines good standing and eligibility for future registrations.
  • Department of Natural Resources: authorized to seize and destroy cervids possessed without proper registration.
• Compliance incentives and penalties:
  • Strict requirement to register and to meet “farmed Cervidae” standards; noncompliance can lead to animal seizure and destruction.
  • Revocation of registration carries a significant future eligibility barrier unless conditions are met to reduce escape risk.
• Practical impact:
  • People who want to breed or keep whitetailed deer or other Cervidae in Minnesota will face a formal registration process and could be blocked from new registrations for whitetailed deer.
  • Transfers of existing registrations to close family members are allowed, but only once and for a fee, with a verification process to ensure ongoing compliance.

Relevant Terms - Cervidae, live Cervidae, whitetailed deer - Board of Animal Health - Minnesota Statutes 2024 section 35.155 subdivision 10, Subd.10 (Mandatory registration) - registration, good standing - seizure and destruction, Department of Natural Resources (DNR) - revocation, ineligible for future registration - farmed Cervidae - immediate family member, transfer - one-time transfer fee, $500