SB 56 New Mexico Senate · 2025 Regular Session

LIVESTOCK INFO DURING EPIDEMIC

SB 56 would allow New Mexico's Livestock Board to restrict public access to certain livestock-related information during a disease epidemic. This includes operational details (like farm locations, financial data, livestock movements, and account numbers), disease information that could identify individuals or locations, and ongoing investigation records. The board must redact confidential elements when sharing information and cannot withhold data if an investigation concludes with a violation. The bill also ensures individuals can access their own information and requires disclosure only when necessary to address immediate health threats.

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2025

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Jan 22, 2025 Last action Jun 3, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

introduced version → CO substitute · 9 edits

MAJOR

The bill was amended to significantly broaden the conditions under which livestock information can be restricted, changing it from requiring an 'epidemic' to allowing restrictions when a disease has significant economic impact or is zoonotic, fatal, or highly injurious. The scope was expanded to include 'animal health events' beyond just diseases, and the list of protected information was updated to include more specific operational details like herd management plans and critical infrastructure vulnerabilities. The amendment also clarifies that information can be withheld to encourage producer participation in disease control efforts and to protect food supply security.

Scope change

The bill now applies to a broader range of situations including any animal health event with significant economic impact, not just epidemics, and extends protection to include critical infrastructure vulnerabilities and more specific location data.

ELIGIBILITY

Changed the trigger for restricting information from requiring an 'epidemic' to allowing restrictions when a disease has significant economic impact or is zoonotic, fatal, or highly injurious.

SCOPE

Expanded the scope from just 'disease' to include 'animal health events' affecting livestock.

REQUIREMENT

Added new requirement that information restrictions must be believed to encourage producer participation in quickly identifying, isolating, and controlling disease or conditions affecting livestock health and food supply security.

Updated the list of restricted information to include more specific details like locations more specific than county/region level, herd management plans with biosecurity details, and critical infrastructure vulnerabilities.

Added new provision allowing information to be withheld to encourage producer participation in disease control efforts.

Added new provision allowing withholding of information to protect food supply security.

Modified the exception for ongoing investigations to clarify that information can still be withheld after investigation concludes if the person violated livestock code provisions.

Updated the exception for immediate threats to health and safety to apply to both persons and animals.

Added new exception allowing release of information to state or federal agencies involved in response to livestock disease or animal health events.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Feb 20, 2025

Upper · Passed

DO NOT PASS, replaced with committee substitute

upper

Jan 22, 2025

Introduced

Sent to Senate Conservation Committee & Senate Judiciary Committee

upper

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors