Catastrophic livestock mortality measure approved

A bill intended to improve Nebraska’s ability to plan for and respond to emergency catastrophic livestock mortality events passed April 12.

LB848, introduced by Hastings Sen. Steve Halloran, requires the state Department of Agriculture to support the development and execution of catastrophic livestock mortality disposal plans developed by a county or other local emergency management organization.

The bill also assigns a duty to livestock owners to properly dispose of dead animals in a timely manner and adds express authority to transport them to a disposal site designated by a local authority in the event of an emergency that results in large-scale livestock deaths or necessitates wide-scale depopulation.

LB848 passed on a 44-0 vote.