Mink VIRUS Act

This bill aims to protect public health and human safety by prohibiting the farming of mink for their fur across the United States. Beginning one year after enactment, no fur farm may engage in mink farming operations, with significant civil penalties of up to $10,000 per day for violations. Within 90 days of enactment, any termination of farmed mink must adhere to specific humane methods , meeting federal regulations for "euthanasia" and classified as "acceptable" by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Guidelines. Non-compliant termination methods can incur a civil penalty of up to $10,000 per mink. To facilitate this transition, the Secretary of Agriculture is directed to establish a compensation program within 180 days for mink fur farm owners. These payments will cover the reasonable costs incurred by owners to comply with the cessation and termination requirements, and the market value of the mink farming portion of their operation, excluding land, as determined before the bill's enactment. As a condition for receiving payment, recipients must agree not to use the funds for any fur farm activities and must grant a permanent easement on their property prohibiting future fur farm operations. The bill allocates $100,000,000 from the Treasury to the Department of Agriculture to fund this compensation program.