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An Act To Amend Shelter Provisions To Accommodate Rotational Grazing of Livestock
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 7 MRSA §4015, sub-§5, as amended by PL 1999, c. 765, §10, is further amended to read:
 
5. Livestock.   Livestock must be provided with shelter suitable for the health of the animal. LivestockExcept as provided in subsection 5-A, livestock must have access to a constructed or natural shelter that is large enough to accommodate all livestock comfortably at one time. The shelter should be well drained and protect the livestock from direct sun, rain, wind and other inclement weather. Notwithstanding this subsection, shelter for equines must be provided in accordance with subsection 2, paragraph B, subparagraph (1). For purposes of this subsection, "livestock" includes large game as defined in section 1341, subsection 5 kept at a licensed commercial large game shooting area as defined in section 1341, subsection 1.
Sec. 2.  7 MRSA §4015, sub-§5-A  is enacted to read:
 
5-A.  Livestock maintained under a rotational grazing system.     Notwithstanding subsection 5, a person is not required to provide shelter for livestock while the animals are maintained under a rotational grazing system. For the purposes of this subsection, "rotational grazing system" means the practice of dividing up available pasture into multiple smaller areas and subsequently moving the animals from one area to another after a number of days or weeks as determined by forage production.
Sec. 3. 17 MRSA §1037, sub-§5, as amended by PL 1999, c. 765, §12, is further amended to read:
 
5. Livestock.   Livestock must be provided with shelter suitable for the health of the animal. LivestockExcept as provided in subsection 5-A, livestock must have access to a constructed or natural shelter that is large enough to accommodate all livestock comfortably at one time. The shelter should be well drained and protect the livestock from direct sun, rain, wind and other inclement weather. Notwithstanding this subsection, shelter for equines must be provided in accordance with subsection 2, paragraph B, subparagraph (1). For purposes of this subsection, "livestock" includes large game as defined in Title 7, section 1341, subsection 5 kept at a licensed commercial large game shooting area as defined in Title 7, section 1341, subsection 1.
Sec. 4.  17 MRSA §1037, sub-§5-A  is enacted to read:
 
5-A.  Livestock maintained under a rotational grazing system.     Notwithstanding subsection 5, a person is not required to provide shelter for livestock while the animals are maintained under a rotational grazing system. For the purposes of this subsection, "rotational grazing system" means the practice of dividing up available pasture into multiple smaller areas and subsequently moving the animals from one area to another after a number of days or weeks as determined by forage production.
 
SUMMARY
This bill exempts livestock producers from certain shelter requirements for livestock while they are kept under a rotational grazing system.