NP 47 – Laboratory Operations Augment: This budget request is for $210,000 in FY 2026 and FY 2027 of proprietary funds for additional testing supplies expenses. The additional budgetary request is necessary to cover increased costs ($112,000) associated with the chronic wasting disease testing program and the conversion of the Brucella screening tests ($98,000) from the RAP to FP test method.

NP 48 – Emergency Preparedness Veterinarian Funding Shift: This budget request is to move $136,013 of authority in FY 2026 and FY 2027 from federal special revenue to state special revenue that funds the Emergency Preparedness - Program Veterinarian FTE. The position is focused on zoonotic disease issues, avian influenza, and emergency preparedness which has allowed the Department to advance our ability to respond to a large-scale disease outbreak. For Federal FY 2024, the Department saw a $360,000 decrease in funding for Cattle Health, Avian, and OneHealth. In order to maintain this position and still accomplish the brucellosis related goals associated with federal cooperative agreement funding, Livestock would like to transition this position to PCF as future federal funding levels are uncertain.

NP 401 – MVDL Lab Equipment Purchase (OTO) (BIEN): This budget request was for $236,951 in FY 2024 of state special revenue to fund the purchase of a Bruker MALDI Biotyper Sirius GP System w/ libraries, database, software, peripheral supplies, and freight. This equipment purchase is for the Montana Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (MVDL) to replace obsolete microbial identification methods, lower the cost of services for livestock producers, and improve operational efficiency of the lab. A purchase order for the Bruker MALDI Biotyper Sirius GP System was executed on 10/2/2023 in the amount of $246,114. All funds requested for this purchase were exhausted. This piece of lab equipment has performed as expected and contributed to improved services for our clients.

NP 402 – MVDL Lab Equipment Maintenance: This budget request was for $22,300 in FY 2025 of proprietary revenue to fund reoccurring preventive maintenance (PM) for the new Bruker MALDI Biotyper Sirius GP System. DOL submitted a purchase order for a 5-year maintenance agreement on the Bruker MALDI Biotyper System on 4/8/2024. The total annual cost increased to $29,830 due to inflationary adjustments relative to when the original quote was obtained. All requested funds will be spent for this recurring funding request.

NP 403 – Additional Meat & Poultry Inspectors: This budget includes $116,345 in FY 2024 and $116,422 in FY 2025 of general fund and $116,344 in FY 2024 and $116,421 in FY 2025 of federal special revenue to fund 4.00 FTE Meat & Poultry Inspectors. Additional meat inspectors are needed to address increased requests for inspection and enrollment in the Cooperative Interstate Shipping (CIS) program. DOL has hired four additional inspectors and has 1 approved CIS plant. We continue to have interest in state inspection and CIS