he Michigan House of Representatives approved legislation to improve protections for companion and family pets. Under House Bill 4332, it would be a crime to knowingly torture or kill an animal with the intent to cause mental distress or exert control over a person.The legislation would create first, second and third-degree offenses depending on severity, while partnering with Bill 4333 to update sentencing guidelines of up to 10 years imprisonment. [node:read-more:link]

Most U.S. states and about half of high-population cities and counties have organizational infrastructure for managing animals during a disaster, such as a state or county animal response team. [node:read-more:link]

A dozen states are banding together to ask the US Supreme Court to block a California law requiring any eggs sold there to come from hens that have space to stretch out in their cages. Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley said Monday that he plans to file a lawsuit on behalf of the states alleging California's law has cost consumers nationwide up to $350 million annually because of higher egg prices since it took effect in 2015. The lawsuit, provided to The Associated Press, argues California's requirements violate the U.S. [node:read-more:link]

If the tax reform packages that have now passed the U.S. House and Senate become law, at least one thing appears likely: The federal estate tax will be slashed and perhaps eliminated altogether. [node:read-more:link]

The FDA is committed to working with industry to address concerns about the regulation of human food by-products used for animal food, and is considering approaches that balance practical and public health considerations. Several sectors of the food industry have expressed concern about having to meet preventive controls requirements under the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) for certain activities commonly performed to facilitate the storage and transportation of these by-products.
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The General Accounting Office (GAO) released its review of the 22 agricultural commodity checkoff programs today, finding no major problems but calling for more consistent auditing procedures and oversight by the United States Department of Agriculture. It also recommends economic analysis done to determine the checkoff programs’ benefit-cost ratios (BCRs) be done consistently across all commodities. These BCRs range widely, from 17.4 for pork programs to 2.14 for fluid milk. [node:read-more:link]

Cybersecurity is the most pressing issue for state information technology officials, as hackers and cybercriminals increasingly take aim at government networks, which contain information such as Social Security, bank account and credit card numbers of millions of people and businesses. But hiring and keeping qualified IT staffers, particularly cybersecurity experts, continues to be a serious problem for states, according to a recent survey of state chief information officers. [node:read-more:link]

A group of dogs rescued from Puerto Rico and brought to New Hampshire have fallen ill, and now state health officials have a warning for residents who may have contracted the bacterial infection. Two of the ten rescued dogs have died from the infection. The woman who rescued them tells NBC Boston that she’s doing everything she can to keep the rest of the puppies alive. [node:read-more:link]

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's plans to decommission brucellosis field studies is in direct conflict of a recent study that concluded that brucellosis is spreading in wildlife, and more research is needed, not less, in both elk and bison. [node:read-more:link]

Bell and Evans said it broke ground on a 560,000-square-foot chicken-harvesting facility that will allow the Fredericksburg, Pa.-based processor to expand its organic product offerings as it also moves to a slower-growth chicken breed. [node:read-more:link]