ASSEMBLY, No. 2314

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

INTRODUCED SEPTEMBER 16, 1996

By Assemblymen WEINGARTEN, O'TOOLE and Lance

An Act concerning deer population control and supplementing Title 23 of the Revised Statutes.

    Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

    1. a. The Department of Environmental Protection shall design, in consultation with the Humane Society of the United States, a pilot project to test the efficacy and practical use of immuno-contraception methods to reduce deer populations in the State. Within six months of the effective date of this act, the department shall select an appropriate deer population for the tests and immuno-contraception methods that have received sufficient federal approvals to be tested in the State, and shall begin the testing as soon thereafter as is practicable. As used in this act, "immuno-contraception method" means the injection of an animal with a drug that sterilizes, or prevents conception in, the animal injected through the use of any one of several drug delivery methods, including, but not limited to, the shooting of a dart into the animal.

    b. In designing the pilot project required pursuant to subsection a. of this section, the department shall exercise caution to ensure that the immuno-contraception methods, the procedures for testing the methods, and the selection of the deer population to be tested present no threat to the health, welfare and personal safety of the human population of the State. In selection of the deer population to be tested, the department shall include consideration of the deer population of the South Mountain Reservation in Essex County, and to the extent consistent with the provisions of this act, shall include that deer population in the pilot project.

    c. If, within three months of the effective date of this act, no immuno-contraceptive methods have received sufficient federal approvals to begin testing the methods as required by subsection a. of this section, the department shall endeavor to attain the necessary federal approvals and shall begin the testing as soon as possible thereafter.

    d. The testing required pursuant to subsection a. of this section shall be conducted for the minimum period of time required to satisfy federal requirements for drug testing prior to federal approval for distribution and practical use in the State. The testing shall be conducted for no more than two years from the date of the start of the testing, except if otherwise required by federal law or regulation.

    e. Within 90 days of the conclusion of the testing, the Department of Environmental Protection shall report its findings to the Governor and Legislature, including recommendations for practical use of immuno-contraception methods to reduce the deer population in the State and estimates of any costs associated with such practical use.

    2. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

    This bill requires the Department of Environmental Protection, in consultation with the Humane Society of the United States, to select a deer population within six months of enactment and begin testing immuno-contraceptive methods on the deer as soon as practicable. The bill further directs the Department of Environmental Protection to consider the deer population of the South Mountain Reservation in Essex County for inclusion in the pilot project, and to report its findings, recommendations for use of immuno-contraception methods, and estimates of associated costs within 90 days of the conclusion of the testing required.

Requires DEP to test immuno-contraception methods on deer.