HB 389 Summary

• Establishes three new categories of captive deer: "monitored captive deer," "captive deer with status," and "captive deer with certified chronic wasting disease status," each with specific breeding, testing, and disease monitoring requirements.

• Creates new licensing and regulatory framework requiring captive deer operators to obtain dual licenses from both the Department of Agriculture (under Chapter 943) and Division of Wildlife (under Chapter 1533), with mandatory disease testing for chronic wasting disease, brucellosis, and tuberculosis.

• Increases wild animal hunting preserve license application fee from $300 to $1,000 and establishes perpetual licenses for preserves holding only captive white-tailed deer; requires removal of all wild deer before license approval and establishes eight-foot minimum fence height requirement.

• Establishes "captive deer fund" in state treasury to collect fees from captive whitetail deer licensees for administration and enforcement of new captive deer regulations.

• Grants Department of Agriculture authority to take action to mitigate or eliminate chronic wasting disease and other diseases at captive deer facilities, with power to suspend or revoke licenses for non-compliance with health and testing requirements.