HB 504: Expand livestock loss eligibility to include domestic bison - Montana

HB0504_X(2).pdf → HB0504_X(3).pdf · 2 edits

MINOR

The bill was amended to explicitly include domestic bison in its provisions, expanding its scope beyond just cattle and other livestock. Additionally, the effective date for the new laws was set to July 1, 2025, and the document was finalized with standard ending markers.

Scope change

The bill's scope was expanded to include domestic bison alongside existing categories like cattle and other registered livestock.

SCOPE

Domestic bison were added to the list of animals covered by the bill, ensuring they receive the same protections or regulations as cattle and other livestock.

TIMELINE

The effective date for the legislation was established as July 1, 2025, determining when the new rules will begin to apply.

HB0504_2(10).pdf → HB0504_X.pdf · 4 edits

MODERATE

This bill expands the Montana Livestock Loss Mitigation Program to include domestic bison, ensuring they receive the same reimbursement protections as cattle. It also clarifies how 'fair market value' is calculated for bison and other registered livestock, setting their value at twice the average of commercial cattle. The changes aim to provide consistent financial relief to ranchers raising bison who suffer losses from predators like wolves and bears.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded to explicitly include domestic bison as eligible livestock for predator loss reimbursement, whereas previous versions listed cattle but did not clearly specify bison eligibility.

ELIGIBILITY

Domestic bison are now explicitly listed as eligible livestock for reimbursement alongside cattle, swine, horses, sheep, and goats.

DEFINITION

The definition of 'fair market value' was updated to specify that domestic bison are valued at twice the average price of commercial cattle of the same age and sex.

The valuation rule for 'other registered livestock' was clarified to apply to both domestic bison and other livestock, ensuring consistent treatment.

TECHNICAL

Minor formatting and numbering adjustments were made to align the bill text with standard legislative formatting conventions.

HB0504_2(3).pdf → HB0504_2(4).pdf · 2 edits

MINOR

The bill includes minor formatting adjustments to the numbering of livestock categories and slightly reflows the text of new sections regarding tribal notification and the effective date. These changes do not alter the substantive policy, funding, or legal requirements of the bill.

TECHNICAL

Removed extra spaces between category labels (vii), (viii), and (VII) in the livestock valuation section.

Adjusted line spacing and indentation in the new sections concerning tribal government notification and the effective date.

HB0504_2(2).pdf → HB0504_2(3).pdf · 2 edits

MINOR

The bill primarily renumbered existing clauses regarding livestock compensation values, adding a line for domestic bison to align with cattle. It also updated the numbering for the definition of 'probable' predation. No new policies, funding amounts, or effective dates were introduced.

Scope change

The scope of compensation eligibility was technically expanded by explicitly including domestic bison in the same valuation category as registered cattle, though the text for bison already existed in the previous version.

TECHNICAL

Line numbers were resequenced to correct a formatting error where a line for domestic bison was missing from the original numbering.

The numbering for the definition of 'probable' predation was adjusted to align with the corrected line numbers.

HB0504_1(7).pdf → HB0504_2.pdf · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill text was renumbered and reorganized, shifting from a sequential list of sections to a format where new sections are inserted at the end. The most significant substantive change involves the compensation rules for livestock killed by predators: the specific provision for 'domestic bison' was moved from a separate line item to be grouped with 'other livestock,' while a new category for 'other registered livestock' was added with its own compensation formula.

Scope change

The scope of compensation eligibility was expanded to include a distinct category for 'other registered livestock,' while the compensation criteria for domestic bison were consolidated with the general livestock rules.

ELIGIBILITY

Compensation for 'domestic bison' was removed from its own specific line item and merged into the general rule for 'other livestock.'

A new compensation category was created for 'other registered livestock,' which receives twice the average value of commercial-grade animals of the same breed, age, and sex.

TECHNICAL

The bill's internal numbering and section structure were altered, moving new content to the end of the document and renumbering existing clauses.

LC2854.pdf → HB0504_1.pdf · 2 edits

MINOR

The bill was renumbered from LC 2854 to HB 504.1, and the header was updated to reflect the official 'Authorized Print Version.' The substantive text of the bill, which expands livestock eligibility for claims involving wolves, mountain lions, and grizzly bears, remains unchanged.

Scope change

The bill's scope and applicability remain unchanged; only the document identifier and versioning have been updated.

TECHNICAL

The bill number was changed from LC 2854 to HB 504.1 to align with the official House Bill number.

The header text was updated to include 'Authorized Print Version' to indicate the official status of the document.

Expand livestock loss eligibility to include domestic bison

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