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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 30, 2020
Time and Place: 9:00 a.m. - Senate Subcommittee Room 1 - Pocahontas Bldg.

S.B. 272

Patron: Bell

Tethering animals; adequate shelter and space. Provides that outdoor tethering of an animal does not meet the requirement that an animal be given adequate shelter if it occurs (i) between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., except when the animal is engaged in conduct related to an agricultural activity; (ii) when no owner is on the property; (iii) when the temperature is 32 degrees Fahrenheit or lower, or 85 degrees Fahrenheit or higher; (iv) during a heat advisory; or (v) during a severe weather warning. The bill increases certain minimum tether length requirements to meet the requirement that an animal be given adequate space by requiring that a tether be at least 15 feet in length or four times the length of the animal, whichever is greater. Current law requires the tether to be at least 10 feet in length or three times the length of the animal, whichever is greater. The bill also authorizes the governing body of any locality to adopt, and make more stringent, ordinances that parallel certain state provisions related to care of companion animals.

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. 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. 891

Patron: Marsden

Animal welfare regulations; keeping of dogs, cats, and rabbits; Animal Welfare Inspector. Directs the Board of Agriculture and Consumer Services to adopt comprehensive regulations governing (i) the keeping of dogs, cats, and rabbits by any commercial dog breeder, dealer, pet shop, or private or public animal shelter and (ii) the keeping of companion animals by zoos. The regulations are to require an annual $25 registration by every regulated person or facility and may establish standards that apply only to a particular category of regulated entity. The bill creates the position of State Animal Welfare Inspector as an employee of the Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services and directs the Inspector or a representative to conduct two annual inspections of each regulated facility. Finally, the bill directs the State Veterinarian to convene a technical advisory committee that includes representatives of potentially affected breeders, dealers, pet shops, shelters, agencies, zoos, veterinarians, and others, as well as representatives of the Office of the Attorney General, to assist in the development of regulations and guidance required by the bill.

S.B. 1030

Patron: Spruill

Dangerous captive animal exhibits; penalty. Prohibits a keeper of dangerous captive animals, defined in the bill, from providing or offering to provide to any individual, for free or for a cost, direct contact with such dangerous captive animal. The bill provides that a violation is a Class 3 misdemeanor and that the keeper is subject to a fine of not more than $500.