Alliance, NE– The Nebraska Legislature earlier this year passed LB 768, which created a brand inspection service area in the non-brand inspection area of Nebraska.  This brand inspection service area includes all Nebraska counties and areas of Nebraska counties contiguous with the brand inspection area of Nebraska. The specific counties involved are eastern Knox, Antelope, Pierce, Boone, Nance, Merrick, Hall, Adams, Webster, and Furnas.

LB 768 provides the Nebraska Brand Committee with the authority to perform voluntary brand inspections when requested by either a purchaser or seller of cattle located within the brand inspection service area and such inspections shall be provided upon the same terms and charges as brand inspections performed within the brand inspection area.

This legislative bill also amended current statutes to require any person taking up an estray within the brand inspection service area to report the same within seven days thereafter to the Nebraska Brand Committee.

Also, this 2014 legislation provided the Nebraska Brand Committee the authority to perform voluntary brand inspections in all other counties in the non-brand inspection area of Nebraska and shall charge the per head inspection fee plus a fee to cover the actual expense of performing the inspection, including mileage at the rate established by the Department of Administrative Services and an hourly rate of $20.00 per hour for the travel and inspection time incurred by the Brand Committee.