Bill Text: MS SB2656 | 2026 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: White-tailed deer enclosures; prohibit registration fees and certain requirements related to chronic wasting disease testing for.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 1)

Status: (Failed) 2026-02-03 - Died In Committee [SB2656 Detail]

Download: Mississippi-2026-SB2656-Introduced.html

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MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

2026 Regular Session

To: Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks

By: Senator(s) Suber

Senate Bill 2656

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 49-7-58.1, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE THAT THERE SHALL BE NO REGISTRATION FEE FOR ANY ENCLOSURE CONTAINING WHITE-TAILED DEER THAT PREVENTS THE FREE EGRESS OF THE DEER FROM THE ENCLOSED AREA; TO DELETE REQUIREMENTS FOR TESTING DEER WITHIN THE ENCLOSURE FOR CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE; TO AMEND SECTION 49-7-58.2, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO DELETE PROVISIONS REGARDING SAMPLING DEER HARVESTED OR DYING FROM NONHUNTING RELATED CAUSES WITHIN AN ENCLOSURE; TO REPEAL SECTION 49-7-58.6, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, WHICH IS THE PROVISION OF LAW THAT REQUIRES WHITE-TAILED DEER HARVESTED WITHIN ANY ENCLOSURE TO BE TESTED FOR CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE, IS REPEALED; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

     BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

     SECTION 1.  Section 49-7-58.1, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

     49-7-58.1.  (1)  The owner of any enclosure containing white-tailed deer that prevents the free egress of white-tailed deer from the enclosed area shall notify and register with the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks.  There shall be no registration fee for any such enclosure.  The person shall give his name, the location of the enclosure, the acreage within the enclosure, and whether any deer have been imported into the state and placed in the enclosure, and any other information required by the Commissioner on Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks.

     (2)  Persons who constructed an enclosure prior to July 1, 2003, shall have until January 1, 2004, to notify and provide the information required under this section.  The person shall use acceptable hunting and wildlife management practices as may be determined by the department.

     (3)  The owner of such an enclosure shall comply with all rules and regulations promulgated by the Commission on Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks * * * for the testing of white‑tailed deer harvested within an enclosure, or whose death was due to causes other than hunting activity, as required by Section 49‑7‑58.6.  If chronic wasting disease is diagnosed within five (5) miles of the enclosure, the owner of such enclosure shall allow department personnel to enter the enclosure to utilize the best collection methods possible to obtain tissue samples for testing.  If chronic wasting disease is diagnosed within the enclosure, the owner shall work with the commission to determine a solution for containing the disease within the enclosure; however, the commission shall not declare surrounding or adjoining properties within a five (5) mile radius of the enclosure a CWD Management Zone, until chronic wasting disease is positively detected within such radius on these surrounding or adjoining properties, except there shall be no requirement to test white-tailed deer inside the enclosure, including those that die of natural causes within breeding pens, for chronic wasting disease, or to submit samples of deer from within the enclosure for chronic wasting disease testing.

     (4)  Violations of this section shall be punishable as provided in Section 49-7-58.6.

     SECTION 2.  Section 49-7-58.2, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

     49-7-58.2. * * *  (1)  The Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks shall develop and implement a program for inspecting, monitoring, testing and preventing chronic wasting disease. * * *  The Commission on Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks shall promulgate rules and regulations to effect the sampling of deer harvested, or dying from, nonhunting related causes, within an enclosure.  If chronic wasting disease is diagnosed in white‑tailed deer within an enclosure, the department is authorized to use methods authorized by the commission and enter the enclosure to determine a solution for containing the disease within the enclosure.  If chronic wasting disease is diagnosed within five (5) miles of the enclosure, the department is authorized to enter the enclosure and utilize the best collection methods available to obtain tissue samples.  If chronic wasting disease is detected within an enclosure, the commission shall not declare surrounding or adjoining properties within a five (5) mile radius of the enclosure a CWD Management Zone, until chronic wasting disease is positively detected within such radius on these surrounding or adjoining properties.

(2)  If a live test for chronic wasting disease is developed, the department is authorized to conduct such tests on white‑tailed deer within any enclosure.  However, no program shall authorize testing white-tailed deer inside an enclosure, including those that die of natural causes within breeding pens, for chronic wasting disease, or to submit samples of deer from within the enclosure for chronic wasting disease testing.

     SECTION 3.  Section 49-7-58.6, Mississippi Code of 1972, which is the provision of law that requires white-tailed deer harvested within any enclosure to be tested for chronic wasting disease, is repealed.

     SECTION 4.  This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2026.

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