RAPID CITY, S.D. – South Dakota Stockgrowers Association (SDSGA) applaud the South Dakota Legislature’s passage of HB 1096, A Livestock Identification Bill, which allows producers the right to choose how to best identify the animals within their herds. Currently livestock owners may choose to identify animals using any methods pursuant to §§ 40–3–27 inclusive, as set forth in 9 C.F.R. part 86, as adopted on January 9, 2013, and HB 1096 continues producer choices for use of multiple forms of ID such as metal clip tags, tattoos, brands and EID if desired.
SDSGA Executive Director, James Halverson, said,” The SD Animal Industry Board does a great job, and this bill protects against overreach from the USDA by preventing an electronic ID federal mandate within South Dakota.” He also stated, “Our current identification system works well, and this will preserve it within South Dakota, asserting our state’s rights to identify animals as we see fit.”
SDSGA appreciates and thanks HR 1096 sponsors including Representatives Overweg (prime), Aylward, Chaffee, Dennert, Finck, Fitzgerald, Goodwin, Gosch, Hoffman, Howard, Jensen (Kevin), Karr, Ladner, Lesmeister, May, Mulally, Odenbach, Perry, Pischke, Pourier, Randolph, Reimer, Smith (Jamie), and Wiese and Senators Klumb (prime), Castleberry, Crabtree, Foster, Frye–Mueller, Smith (VJ), Tobin, and Zikmund. SDSGA, South Dakota’s oldest livestock association representing family producers, is especially grateful to all Legislative voters who supported independent producer rights to choose livestock identification methods best suited to their operations
