The Mink VIRUS Act would ban mink farming in the United States within one year of enactment, and require that any removal or killing of farmed mink (mink termination) be done humanely following established veterinary guidelines. The bill creates a government program to compensate fur farm owners for both the costs of complying with the ban and the market value of the mink-farming portion of their operation, with a total initial funding of $100 million to be provided to the Agriculture Secretary. In addition to the prohibition, the act imposes penalties for noncompliance (up to $10,000 per day for continuing operations and up to $10,000 per noncompliant mink terminated). It also requires recipients of payments to sign an easement prohibiting fur farming on the property. The act includes detailed definitions of key terms (fur, fur-bearing animals, mink, fur farm) and clarifies that the measure does not override stricter state laws. The funding is categorized as not to be counted on PAYGO scorecards.
Key Points
- 1Prohibition and timing: Beginning one year after enactment, no fur farm may farm mink; the transition requires all mink farming to cease.
- 2Humane termination requirements: Within 90 days after enactment, any mink termination must use euthanasia methods defined by federal regulations and deemed acceptable by the latest AVMA Guidelines for the Euthanasia of Animals.
- 3Penalties: Civil penalties up to $10,000 per day for continued noncompliance with the ban; up to $10,000 per noncompliant mink for improper termination.
- 4Compensation and transition assistance: The Secretary of Agriculture must establish a program within 180 days to pay fur farm owners the lesser of (a) their reasonable costs to comply with the ban and euthanasia requirements, and (b) the market value of the mink-farming portion of the farm (excluding land).
- 5Easements and conditions on payment: To receive funding, recipients cannot use payment funds for fur-farm-related operating costs and must grant a permanent easement prohibiting fur farming on the property.
- 6Funding and fiscal note: $100 million is transferred from the Treasury to the Agriculture Secretary within 60 days of enactment, available to spend until exhausted; the bill also states that its budgetary effects are not to be counted on certain PAYGO scorecards.
- 7Definitions and scope: The bill provides clear definitions for fur, fur-bearing animals, fur farms, and mink, and clarifies that the law does not preempt more restrictive state or local laws.