Wednesday U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) introduced legislation that would prevent federal government overreach on the operations of South Dakota farmers and ranchers. The bill would prevent the Secretary of Agriculture from implementing any rule or regulation requiring the mandatory use of electronic identification tags, or RFID tags, on cattle and bison.

In January 2023, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) published a proposal to require cattle and bison to have visually and electronically readable tags. This proposed rule would also require records to be entered into a tribal, state or federal database, allowing the federal government to access this information.

Senator Rounds stated that “South Dakota cattle producers don’t need DC bureaucrats telling them how to manage and track their livestock”.  He said “USDA’s proposed RFID mandate is federal government overreach, plain and simple. I’m pleased to be introducing this legislation to block the Secretary of Agriculture from mandating the use of electronic tags in cattle and bison herds. If farmers and ranchers want to use electronic tags, they can do so voluntarily.”

This legislation is endorsed by the South Dakota Stockgrowers Association and R-CALF USA. Click HERE for full bill text.

As of January 2023, South Dakota had 3.6 million cattle and calves, which is 4% of the national inventory. The state also has 1.5 million beef cows, which is 5.3% of the national inventory. South Dakota has the highest ratio of cattle to people in the United States, with 4 cattle per person.

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REFERENCES

https://www.cattlebusinessweekly.com/articles/rounds-introduces-bill-to-prevent-mandatory-eid-tags/