Hageman, Lummis introduce bill to block mandatory EID ear tags

CHEYENNE (WNE) — U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman and Sen. Cynthia Lummis, both R-Wyo., on Thursday introduced a joint resolution disapproving of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) rule mandating electronic identification (EID) ear tags for bison and cattle moving interstate.

Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., has also joined this legislation as an original cosponsor.

Hageman said in a news release: “This rule is a solution in search of a problem that will advance a federal mandate which the American ranching community will have to pay for. This unfunded mandate raises serious privacy concerns for ranchers and their herds, with the potential to lock ranchers out of their traditional markets, thereby furthering vertical integration of the U.S. food supply chain.

“Wyoming’s ranchers provide some of the highest quality meat in the world, yet this administration continues to find creative ways to make their jobs harder,” Lummis said in the release. “Forcing Wyoming’s ranchers to shell out their hard-earned money to trace and chip their livestock not only threatens to erode their privacy, but puts unnecessary pressure on our supply chain. As a rancher myself, I understand the devastating impact this will have on our industry and will do everything in my power to block this administration’s chronic federal overreach.”

“Mandating ear tags for all cattle and bison will financially crush independent Wyoming ranchers,” said Barrasso. “Senator Lummis’ and Congresswoman Hageman’s legislation will stop this overreaching federal mandate in its tracks.”

On May 9, APHIS issued the final rule, which amends animal disease traceability regulations to require bison and cattle ear tags to be both visually and electronically readable to be recognized as official ear tags for interstate movement.

This story was published on June 14, 2024.