White-tailed deer enclosures; enable testing for CWD by submission of viable samples or alternative methods for such testing.

SB 2428 requires owners of enclosed white-tailed deer areas (high-fenced enclosures) to register with Mississippi's Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks department and submit chronic wasting disease (CWD) test samples from harvested deer and deer that die from non-hunting causes. Specifically, owners must submit at least one sample per 200 acres annually, with samples from dead deer counting toward this requirement. Failure to comply results in escalating fines: $500 for a first violation and $1,000 for each subsequent violation. The bill also clarifies that surrounding properties cannot be designated as CWD Management Zones solely based on a diagnosis within 5 miles of an enclosure unless the disease is confirmed in those adjacent areas. This directly affects private landowners maintaining deer enclosures.