
Tell Committee Members to Vote YES on HB2801.
Protect Livestock from Mandatory Vaccinations, Hearings 3/13
We need your help supporting legislation that protects farmers from potentially being forced to vaccinate their livestock. This Wednesday (March 13th), House Bill 2801 (HB 2801) will be in the House Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee at 9 a.m. central.
ABOUT HB 2801
Currently in Tennessee code the State Veterinarian and the State Commissioner of Agriculture have the authority to “order tests or vaccinations of animals within the state or imported into the state for the purpose of protecting the health of animals in Tennessee.” HB 2801 creates an opt-out for farmers from having to vaccinate their livestock (should a vaccine be mandated) if the farmer was already not vaccinating livestock on their farm.
ACTION TO TAKE
Call and/or email members of the House Agricultural & Natural Committee asking them to vote YES on HB 2801. The hearing is set for 9 a.m. Wednesday (March 13th). Calls are the most effective way to get your message across. It’s especially important to do so if you are a constituent of a member of the committee. Committee members are listed with their phone numbers for your convenience along with a block of email addresses you can copy/paste for each. Further down are Talking Points you may incorporate into your messages.
To find your legislator, enter your address at:
https://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/Apps/fml2022/search.aspx
You may copy/paste this block to email the entire committee:
rep.rusty.grills@capitol.tn.gov; rep.tandy.darby@capitol.tn.gov; rep.monty.fritts@capitol.tn.gov; rep.bud.hulsey@capitol.tn.gov; rep.justin.jones@capitol.tn.gov; rep.jay.reedy@capitol.tn.gov; rep.ga.hardaway@capitol.tn.gov; rep.torrey.harris@capitol.tn.gov; rep.chris.hurt@capitol.tn.gov; rep.pat.marsh@capitol.tn.gov; rep.brock.martin@capitol.tn.gov; rep.greg.vital@capitol.tn.gov; rep.dave.wright@capitol.tn.gov; rep.johnny.shaw@capitol.tn.gov; rep.chris.todd@capitol.tn.gov; rep.bryan.richey@capitol.tn.gov
Please call if your Representative is listed below:
Chair – Rep Chris Todd (615) 741-7475
Vice Chair – Rep Tandy Darby (615) 741-7847
Rep Monty Fritts (615) 741-7658
Rep Rusty Grills (615) 741-0718
Rep G.A. Hardaway (615) 741-5625
Rep Torrey Harris (615) 741-2239
Rep Bud Hulsey (615) 741-2886
Rep Chris Hurt (615) 741-2134
Rep Justin Jones (615) 741-2184
Rep Pat Marsh (615) 741-6824
Rep Brock Martin (615) 741-7478
Rep Jay Reedy (615) 741-7098
Rep Bryan Richey (615) 741-3560
Rep Johnny Shaw (615) 741-4538
Rep Ron Travis (615) 741-1450
Rep Greg Vital (615) 741-3025
Rep Dave Wright (615) 741-6879
TALKING POINTS for HB 2801
1. It is the right of the animal owner to decide whether his personal property (i.e., livestock) receives a vaccine.
2. For many farmers who raise their livestock in a natural manner (e.g., no genetically modified foods, vaccines, etc.), being required to give their livestock a vaccine goes against strongly held principles.
3. This bill still allows for the State Commissioner of Agriculture and the State Veterinarian to require animals to be quarantined should they deem it necessary.
LINKS
Link to Full Bill Language:
https://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/113/Bill/HB2801.pdf
HB 2801 –
https://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/BillInfo/Default.aspx?BillNumber=HB2801&GA=113
Find My Legislator:
https://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/Apps/fml2022/search.aspx
House Ag Committee:
https://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/CommitteeInfo/HouseComm.aspx?ga=113&committeeKey=810000
🖨️ Print post
To all members of the state Rep Ag committee: please vote yes on HB 2801, but please amend out the Ag commissioner’s power to quarantine, which could possibly be a way to use vaccine’s after all, as a condition to coming out of a quarantine (a back door way into what the front door of the bill blocks) . . .