Last year, HB 1151 was introduced to bar any NAIS in Washington.  A committee substitute was introduced and passed in the House Committee on Agriculture & Natural Resources.  The new bill would establish a Livestock Identification Advisory Committee to study the impacts of NAIS.  The bill passed the House and then stalled in the Senate Committee on Agriculture & Rural Development.  Although the bill does not stop the agency from implementing NAIS, it is a good step.

This year, HB 1151 was reintroduced and placed in the House Rules "X" file.  The bill was never taken out of the X file.

Take Action

1)  It's important to start laying the groundwork for a 2009 anti-NAIS bill now.  Contact your Representative and Senator and educate them about NAIS.   If you don't know who your legislator is, you can find their information at http://apps.leg.wa.gov/DistrictFinder/Default.aspx

Ask to speak to the staffer who handles agricultural issues.  Ask them what they already know about NAIS, explain your objections to it, and respond to the issues they bring up. Stay in touch through email after the phone call, so that they know you really care about this issue.  As always, be polite and respectful of the staff's time.

2)  Educate your community!  Download materials from our Take Action and Articles pages, and put them out at feed stores, farmers markets, co-ops, sales barns, riding stables, etc.  We need everyone to know about NAIS!

Talking Points for Calls

• NAIS will hurt Washington's economy:
  • There has been no analysis at federal or state level that establishes the costs or benefits of NAIS.
  • Costs of the program include the cost of the tags, hardware, software, time and labor
  • Many small farmer and ranchers cannot afford these costs
  • Service providers (veterinarians, feed stores, auction houses, meat processors, etc.) will be harmed when the farmers and ranchers go out of business.
  • Remaining farmers will pass the costs on to consumers, lowering demand for local foods
• Neither the USDA nor the state agency has scientific proof that NAIS will improve disease control:
  • It does not address the cause, treatment, or transmission of disease, in domestic or wild animals.
  • It does not significantly improve on current methods for identification and tracking of disease. 
• NAIS is not necessary for the market.  Age- and source-verification is already available through the USDA's Process Verified Program
• NAIS will not improve food safety
  • USDA itself has stated that this is not a food safety program
  • Contamination of food with e. coli and other bacteria occurs at the slaughterhouse or afterwards, while NAIS will stop before that point.
• NAIS will not protect against terrorism and the technology is flawed
  • The microchips chosen by the state can be cloned, destroyed, or infected with computer viruses, and reprogrammed. Any terrorist or thief can use this.
  • The database of information, created by the state agency and available to USDA, will provide a target for hackers.
• NAIS infringes on people's constitutional rights, including due process, privacy, and religious freedom. 
• NAIS unfairly attacks the rights of pet owners and those who raise animals as food for their family.
• USDA states that NAIS is voluntary at the federal level, so there is no "federal mandate" requiring Washington to implement this program
• Other states are also rejecting or limiting NAIS, so Washington will not be disadvantaged by refusing to participate.
   

last updated March 3, 2008