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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T

SPONSOR Komadina

DATE TYPED 03/08/05 HB

SHORT TITLE Wild Horse Testing, Relocation & Adoption

SB 861/aSCONC/aSJC

ANALYST Wilson

APPROPRIATION

Appropriation Contained Estimated Additional Impact Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY05

FY06

FY05

FY06

See Narrative

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

SUMMARY

Synopsis of SCONC Amendment

The Senate Judiciary Committee amendment does the following:

•

deletes language prohibiting the slaughter of wild horses;

•

changes the definition of a wild horse to mean an unclaimed horse on public land that is

not a stray;

•

clarifies that the bill refers to a wild horse captured on public land; and

•

removes the penalty section.

Synopsis of SCONC Amendment

The Senate Conservation Committee amendment to SB 861 includes state trust land controlled

by the State land Office to the list of land excluded in the definition of “public land”.

Synopsis of Original Bill

Senate Bill 861 states that a wild horse that is captured shall have its deoxyribonucleic acid

(DNA) tested to determine if it is a conquistador horse. The testing will be done at the mammal

division of the museum of southwestern biology at UNM.

If it is a conquistador horse, the wild horse shall be relocated to a state or private wild horse pre-

Senate Bill 861/aSCONC/aSJC-- Page 2

serve created and maintained for the purpose of protecting conquistador horses. If it is not a con-

quistador horse, it shall be returned to the public land, relocated to a public or private wild horse

preserve or put up for adoption by the agency on whose land the wild horse was captured.

If the staff in the mammal division determine that a wild horse herd exceeds the number of

horses that is necessary for preserving the genetic stock of the herd and for preserving and main-

taining the range, it may cause control of the wild horse population through the use of birth con-

trol and may cause excess horses to be humanely captured and relocated to other public land or

to a public or private wild horse preserve; adopted by a qualified person for private maintenance;

or euthanized; provided that this option applies only to wild horses that are determined by a vet-

erinarian to be crippled or otherwise unhealthy.

The bill makes its unlawful for a person in New Mexico to slaughter a wild horse or to possess or

sell a wild horse for slaughter. A person who violates the provisions of this bill is guilty of a

misdemeanor.

Significant Issues

A conquistador horse is a wild horse that is descended from horses of the Spanish conquista-

dores. Proponents of this bill believe it is important to safeguard the heritage of these horses that

were brought to the new world by Spanish conquistadores.

Animal welfare people note that these horses are part of our history and should not be slaugh-

tered to supply other countries with meat.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

It is estimated that this bill will require DNA testing for less than a dozen animals. It cannot be

determined how much the testing will cost, but it should be possible for UNM to absorb the

costs.

ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS

There are federal and state agencies already working in these areas and UNM has the testing fa-

cilities already in place. No additional staff will be needed..

DW/njw:yr:lg