Rep. Sebastian Ertelt (R-26) introduced a bill in the North Dakota House of Representatives to make the state Beef Checkoff voluntary.
House Bill 1487 amends the code to read, “any person who sells cattle in this state or from this state may pay an assessment equal to one dollar for each animal sold.” The amendment does not cover the federal Beef Checkoff.
Currently, if producers request the proper form within 60 days of payment and remit the form and the appropriate additional paperwork required, their checkoff dollars can be refunded.
According to ndbeef.org, the state beef council took in $2,275,536 in FY 2020, including the $1-per-head federal Beef Checkoff and the mandatory refundable $1-per-head state Beef Checkoff. After remitting the required amount to the federal Cattlemen’s Beef Board, refunding $136,075 to producers who requested refunds, and reimbursing states of origin, the North Dakota Beef Industry council had about $1.5 million.
