H.R. 2185 — Mink VIRUS Act

This section prohibits mink farming on fur farms beginning one year after enactment and requires that any termination of farmed mink—whether to comply with the prohibition or otherwise—beginning 90 days after enactment, be performed using methods meeting the Code of Federal Regulations definition of euthanasia (9 C.F.R. §1.1 or successor) and classified as acceptable in the latest American Veterinary Medical Association Guidelines for the Euthanasia of Animals (disregarding other AVMA guidelines, such as for depopulation). It establishes civil penalties of up to $10,000 per day of noncompliance for continued mink farming and up to $10,000 per mink for noncompliant terminations. This section does not preempt stricter state or local laws.

This section establishes a USDA program, to be implemented not later than 180 days after enactment, to provide payments to owners of fur farms involving mink farming. Payments equal the sum of (1) the owner's reasonable costs to comply with sections 2(a) and 2(b), and (2) the market value—as determined by standard appraisal principles (i.e., willing buyer and seller, no compulsion, considering all economic uses)—of the mink farming portion of the farm exclusive of land, valued as of the day before enactment. As a condition of payment, recipients must not use funds for fur farm operations or related costs and must grant the Secretary a permanent easement prohibiting fur farming on the property. The section provides $100 million in mandatory funding, to be transferred from the Treasury to USDA not later than 60 days after enactment and available until expended.

This section defines key terms for purposes of the Act: (1) "fur" as any animal skin or part with hair, fleece, or fur fibers attached (raw or processed), excluding skins converted to leather or completely de-haired and excluding cowhide, deerskin, lambskin, or sheepskin with hair/fleece attached; (2) "fur-bearing animal" as an animal that bears fur of marketable value; (3) "fur farm" as an operation farming fur-bearing animals for their fur's value, including land, buildings, facilities, equipment, animals, and produced fur; (4) "mink" as American mink (Neovison vison), European mink (Mustela lutreola), hybrids (alive or dead), and any parts/products; and (5) "State" as each state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands, and other U.S. territories/possessions.

This section exempts the budgetary effects of this Act from entry on either PAYGO scorecard maintained pursuant to section 4(d) of the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 (2 U.S.C. 933(d)). It further exempts such effects from entry on any PAYGO scorecard maintained for purposes of section 4106 of H. Con. Res. 71 (115th Congress).