SEARCH SITE
VIRGINIA LAW PORTAL
- Code of Virginia
- Virginia Administrative Code
- Constitution of Virginia
- Charters
- Authorities
- Compacts
- Uncodified Acts
- RIS Users (account required)
SEARCHABLE DATABASES
- Bills & Resolutions
session legislation - Bill Summaries
session summaries - Reports to the General Assembly
House and Senate documents - Legislative Liaisons
State agency contacts
ACROSS SESSIONS
- Subject Index: Since 1995
- Bills & Resolutions: Since 1994
- Summaries: Since 1994
Developed and maintained by the Division of Legislative Automated Systems.
2016 SESSION
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That § 3.2-6556 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:
§ 3.2-6556. Training of animal control officers.
A. Every locality employing animal control officers shall require that every animal control officer and deputy animal control officer completes the following training:
1. Within two years from the date of hire, a A
basic animal control course that has been approved by the State Veterinarian.
The basic animal control course shall include training in recognizing suspected
child abuse and neglect and information on how complaints may be filed and
shall be approved and implemented. Any animal control officer hired on or
after July 1, 1998, and before July 1, 2017, shall complete the basic animal
control course within two years from the date of hire. Any animal control
officer hired on or after July 1, 2017, shall complete the basic animal control
course within one year from the date of hire or within two years if the officer
is attending a law enforcement academy; and
2. Every three years, additional training approved by the State Veterinarian, 15 hours of which shall be training in animal control and protection.
The State Veterinarian shall develop criteria to be used in approving training courses and shall provide an opportunity for public comment on proposed criteria before the final criteria are adopted.
Subdivision 1 shall not apply to animal control officers or deputy animal control officers hired before July 1, 1998. The State Veterinarian may grant exemptions from the requirements of subdivision 1 to animal control officers hired on or after July 1, 1998, based on the animal control officer's previous training.
The State Veterinarian shall work to ensure the availability of these training courses through regional criminal justice training academies or other entities as approved by him. Based on information provided by authorized training entities, the State Veterinarian shall maintain the training records for all animal control officers for the purpose of documenting and ensuring that they are in compliance with this subsection.
B. Upon cause shown by a locality, the State Veterinarian may grant additional time during which the training required by subsection A may be completed by an animal control officer for the locality.
C. Any animal control officer that fails to complete the training required by subsection A shall be removed from office, unless the State Veterinarian has granted additional time as provided in subsection B.