Bill Summary
HB26-1067 expands how Colorado can use an existing livestock disease fund. Today, the money is largely limited to paying indemnity when a herd is sold for slaughter or destroyed because it was exposed to or diagnosed with an infectious or contagious disease.
This bill broadens allowable uses so the Department of Agriculture can also prepare for and respond to emerging threats to livestock health, with authorization by the Commissioner of Agriculture upon the recommendation of the State Veterinarian.
- Renames the fund to the “livestock health preparedness, response, and diseased livestock indemnity fund.”
- Allows spending to prepare for and respond to infectious or contagious diseases that pose a threat to livestock.
- Allows spending to prepare for and respond to biological or chemical contaminants of animals that pose a threat to livestock.
- Preserves the existing statutory funding streams, including certain unexpended personnel appropriations and civil penalties collected under the “Livestock Health Act.”
- Includes a transfer provision: on June 30, 2025, the state treasurer transfers $250,000 from the fund to the general fund, and that subsection is repealed July 1, 2026.
Position: Support
This is a practical, local-first use of an existing tool. Livestock health is not an abstract policy debate in Weld County. It is paychecks, food supply, and property rights.
If we are going to have a fund on the books, it should help prevent and respond to threats, not just write checks after the damage is done. There is nothing flashy about that, and that is the point.
Why I Am Taking This Position
Government’s job is to restrain real harm and then get out of the way. HB26-1067 stays in that lane by improving readiness for livestock health threats without creating a brand-new bureaucracy.
The bill also keeps the spending gate narrow. The Commissioner of Agriculture may authorize spending only upon the recommendation of the State Veterinarian. That is better than open-ended authority and helps keep decisions tied to expertise instead of political fads.
I also appreciate that the bill preserves existing funding streams and, per the introduced bill summary, does not alter the amount of money in the fund. Limited government does not mean zero government. It means disciplined government: use what we already have, use it for a clear public purpose, and measure results.
Call to Action – What You Should Do!
Contact your state representative and senator. Tell them you support HB26-1067 and you expect tight oversight and clear reporting on how this fund is used.
If agriculture matters to your family and your community, share this and speak up. Calm, clear pressure beats online noise every time.
