Laws governing the reporting and containment of anthrax in Nebraska livestock might be updated this year.

State Sen. Tom Carlson of Holdrege introduced a bill (LB99) Friday that specifies what a herd owner must do if an animal is infected. It could include quarantine, vaccinations and cleanup to prevent the spread of the disease.

Some soil is contaminated with anthrax spores, and cattle ingest them while grazing. The cattle disease is not the same form of anthrax that was mailed to public officials in 2001, although the proposed law could also control how producers would react to the intentional infection of a herd.

The bill also would specify penalties for those who don’t correctly report anthrax infections.