SB 2656

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REPEALED; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.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.