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2020 SESSION

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Senate Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources
Subcommittee Companion Animals

Marsden (Chair), Favola, Pillion

Clerk: Patty Lung, Alec Fischbein
Staff: Scott Meacham, David Barry
Date of Meeting: January 23, 2020
Time and Place: 9:00 a.m. - Senate Subcommittee Room 1 - Pocahontas Bldg.

S.B. 304

Patron: Stanley

Animal shelter euthanasia rate. Requires any public or private animal shelter or releasing agency to report on an annual basis the euthanasia rate for animals at such shelter or agency to the State Veterinarian. The bill requires the State Veterinarian to notify the Board of Pharmacy of any such shelter that has a euthanasia rate greater than 50 percent and prohibits the Board of Pharmacy from registering any such shelter to purchase, possess, or administer certain euthanasia drugs.

S.B. 310

Patron: Stanley

Public animal shelters; notice to euthanize. Requires a public animal shelter to wait three days before euthanizing a dog or cat when a person has notified the shelter of his intent to adopt or take custody of the animal. The shelter must make reasonable efforts to accomplish the release of the animal but is not required hold the animal if it has reason to believe that the animal has seriously injured a human or the animal meets certain other specified conditions for euthanasia.

S.B. 311

Patron: Stanley

Breeding dogs or cats for experimentation; prohibition. Prohibits any person from breeding a dog or cat for the express purpose of producing offspring for participation in medical research or experimentation or for sale to a manufacturer or contract testing facility to conduct research using an animal test method.

S.B. 337

Patron: Stuart

Animal Cruelty Conviction List established. Requires the Superintendent of State Police to establish and maintain by January 1, 2023 an Animal Cruelty Conviction List that shall be available to the public on the website of the Department of State Police. The list shall include the names of persons convicted of certain felony animal cruelty offenses on or after July 1, 2020. The bill requires persons convicted of any such offense to pay a fee of $50 per conviction to fund the maintenance of the list. The bill requires the State Police to remove a person from the list 15 years after his information is listed if he has no additional felony conviction of a relevant animal cruelty offense.

S.B. 669

Patron: Boysko

Animal testing; breeding. Prohibits any person from breeding a dog or cat for the express purpose of producing offspring for (i) use in research, experimentation, or testing that is not required pursuant to federal law or regulation or (ii) sale to a manufacturer, institution of higher learning, or contract testing facility outside the United States.

S.B. 786

Patron: Lewis

Animal shelters; housing conditions. Requires certain housing, space, and care conditions for an animal that is confined by the operator or custodian of a public or private animal shelter or releasing agency during an applicable stray hold period. The bill requires different conditions after such stray hold period ends, including requirements related to materials and construction of facilities, indoor and outdoor enclosures, and separation of certain animals. The bill also requires any regulation by the Board of Agriculture and Consumer Services that applies to an animal not subject to a stray hold period to not be so restrictive as to fail to allow for adequate care, exercise, and space, including meaningful indoor and outdoor enrichment for the animal.