Reps. Sheltrown, Spade, Elkins, Lipsey, Accavitti, Pumford, Emmons, DeRossett, Bradstreet, Caswell, Newell, Minore, Hager, Hune, Brown, Plakas, Rivet, Meyer, Adamini, Anderson, Farrah, Hummel, Julian, Koetje, Middaugh, Nitz, Paletko, Vagnozzi, Acciavatti, Dennis, Drolet, Hopgood, Murphy, Pappageorge, Phillips, Shackleton, Tobocman, Woodward and Tabor offered the following resolution:

            House Resolution No. 57.

            A resolution to memorialize the United States Department of Agriculture to adopt the proposed regulation allowing Michigan to be designated as having split-state status with regard to bovine tuberculosis.

            Whereas, Bovine tuberculosis is an infectious disease that poses a significant risk to domestic livestock, wildlife, companion animals, and humans throughout the world; and

            Whereas, Bovine tuberculosis has many severe impacts beyond the disease itself.  It increases costs, limits markets for livestock producers nationally and internationally, depresses interest in the state’s hunting and tourism industries, and requires state resources for its eradication.  These factors have impacted the families of northeastern Lower Michigan significantly; and

            Whereas, Since the discovery of bovine tuberculosis in wild white-tailed deer in Michigan in 1995, and in cattle in 1998, the state of Michigan, in a partnership with Michigan State University, the livestock industry, the hunting and outdoors community, and local and federal officials, has worked diligently to control, contain, and eradicate the disease; and

            Whereas, Through an aggressive testing plan for livestock and wildlife, Michigan is able to demonstrate to other states and the world that this disease is not present throughout the entire state of Michigan and that the tremendous efforts undertaken with both livestock and wildlife are moving the state toward eradication; and

            Whereas, The United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has issued a draft rule that would allow Michigan to have a split-state status designation for bovine tuberculosis.  If this rule were to become finalized, it would allow the state of Michigan to have two distinct zones under the national bovine tuberculosis eradication effort, setting the standard for federally recognized bovine tuberculosis zones both nationally and internationally; and

            Whereas, Split-state zoning and the recognition of that zoning by other states will reduce the testing and movement burdens on most of Michigan’s livestock producers in what would be the Modified Accredited Advanced Status area, and allow the state of Michigan to focus its resources more directly on the area where the disease has been found; now, therefore, be it

            Resolved by the House of Representatives, That we memorialize the United States Department of Agriculture to adopt the proposed regulation allowing Michigan to be designated as having split-state status with regard to bovine tuberculosis; and be it further

            Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the United States Department of Agriculture and the members of the Michigan congressional delegation.