On Tuesday I blogged about the repeal of the so-called 4-inch law. I read in the Natchez Democrat that as part of the farm bill changes, the law banning the sale of turtles under 4 inches in length had been repealed.

The Democrat today states that the article was incorrect.

In fact, it's much more complicated than that, and much more important. The “Domestic Pet Turtle Equality Act” is an amendment to the farm bill that was added in the Senate, and has yet to make its way to the President for signing. It first needs to be worked over by a Senate-House committee. According to the article:

"If the amendment survives the committee and the president signs the bill, within 60 days the Food and Drug Administration will be required to test all of the salmonella-related pets on the market.

If pet turtles test within a 10 percent prevalence of salmonella among the other animals, the Secretary of Agriculture will have to conduct a study about how turtles can be sold safely as pets.

Once that study is competed, the Secretary of Agriculture has only two options, to either lift the turtle ban or to ban the sale of other salmonella-related animals."

I'll keep on this and report what I learn.