Last Updated on by Catherine Tobsing
Ohio “Dangerous Wildlife” Legislation Passes Senate with PIJAC Amendments. On April 25thSenate Bill 310 unanimously passed the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Environment & Natural Resources and the entire Ohio Senate by a vote of 30-1. The bill passed with substitute language that includes amendments presented by PIJAC. In its current form, Ohio reptile owners will be allowed to keep their pets and businesses will continue to operate. SB 310 now includes a length provision for constrictor snake ownership, so that possession of constricting snakes are restricted (with a permit requirement) only when the snake exceeds 12-feet in length. PIJAC will continue working closely with the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee as well as other legislators to protect the Ohio reptile community. The committee’s first hearing on SB 310 is set May 2nd. For more information, read PIJAC’s original PetAlert. Click here to read PIJAC’s press release on this issue.
Motion to Ban Retail Sale of Pets in Los Angeles, California Passes. A motion to study and make recommendations on a possible ban on the sale of commercially bred dogs, cats, chickens and rabbits within city limits was passed by the Los Angeles City Council on April 17th. The motion also calls for the establishment of a program in which the Los Angeles Department of Animal Services would work with licensed pet stores to make shelter animals available for adoption at pet stores. The city’s Department of Animal Services and other in-city agencies are charged with evaluating the proposal and the crafting of language to implement it. Click here to read PIJAC’s original PetAlert on this proposal.
Erie County, NY to Hear Proposal For Animal Abuse Registry. On March 29th, a proposed Local Law was introduced by the Erie County, NY Legislature, which would provide for the creation of an animal abuse registry. The registry would identify individuals in Erie County who have been convicted of an animal abuse crime in order to prevent those individuals from adopting, purchasing or otherwise obtaining animals from any animal shelter or pet seller. The proposal also provides that any animal shelter or pet seller in Erie County that violates this Section would be subject to a fine of up to $1,000. The proposal will be heard by the Legislature’s Energy & Environment Committee on May 3rd. Click here to read PIJAC’s PetAlert on this proposed local law.
PET STORE/DEALER
California. **PASSED BY COMMITTEE** Senate Bill 969 was amended to eliminate the requirement that any person in California “who bathes, brushes, clips, or styles a pet for compensation” must be licensed by the Veterinary Medical Board. Instead, the amended bill would establish a Pet Grooming Council which would be charged with overseeing administration of the new law. PIJAC had sought other changes to the introduced version of this bill, and several amendments were included in the measure as adopted by the Senate Business, Professions & Economic Development Committee on April 23rd. PIJAC is involved in continuing discussion on additional possible amendments to SB 969. The bill now sits in the Senate Appropriations Committee awaiting further action. Click here to read PIJAC’s PetAlert on this legislation.
California. **PASSED BY COMMITTEE** As originally introduced, Assembly Bill 1939 would have required that each pet dealer, humane society, rescue group, society for the prevention of cruelty to animals, or other specified entity submit a report to the local governmental entity that is responsible for licensing dogs in the city or county in which the entity is located. It also required the report to contain the name, address, and telephone number of the person who receives a dog. PIJAC objected to similar legislation last year as an unwarranted burden on pet dealers that would offer no demonstrable benefit to localities, and that bill was ultimately vetoed by the Governor. AB 1939 was amended to operate as a pilot project, applicable to only select jurisdictions and with a sunset clause, and passed the Assembly Local Government Committee on April 25th. It was then sent to the Assembly Committee on Appropriations for further action. Click here to read PIJAC’s PetAlert on this bill.
California(Laguna Beach) **SET FOR PUBLIC HEARING** A proposed ordinance banning the retail sale of dogs and cats in Laguna Beach, California is set for public hearing on May 1st (Council Chambers, 6:00 p.m.) The proposal defines a “commercial animal establishment” as “any pet shop, commercial animal rescue shop, grooming parlor, animal auction, animal dealer who operates for profit, riding school or stable, zoological park, circus, performing animal exhibition, commercial kennel/cattery or animal shelter”. Click here to read PIJAC’s PetAlert on this proposal. Click here to download PIJAC’s Call to Action Flyer.
California (Huntington Beach) **ORDINANCE PROPOSAL PUT ON HOLD** Proposal No. 3398, banning the retail sale of dogs and cats in Huntington Beach, California, was put on hold by the Huntington Beach City Council at its April 16th meeting. The proposal will be rewritten to phase in a ban on dog and cat sales over a 2-year period. The city will also work with local pet store owners and animal activists to promote adoptions. No deadline was set for the rewritten ordinance which will still need city council approval. Click here to read PIJAC’s original PetAlert on this ordinance proposal.
Florida (Hallandale Beach). **ORDINANCE ADOPTED** A proposed city ordinance amending Chapter 6 of the Hallandale Beach, FL City Code to ban the retail sale of dogs and cats in the city was formally adopted by the City Commission on April 18th. The ordinance becomes effective immediately. The only exemption in the proposal is one that allows the sale of puppies that were raised on the seller’s premises, in which case a ‘certificate of source’ is required. Click here to read PIJAC’s PetAlert on this proposal
Missouri (St. Louis). **PROPOSED ORDINANCE FAILS** A proposed ordinance banning the retail sale of dogs and cats died on April 16th when the St. Louis Board of Aldermen failed to consider it before adjourning. This proposal would have also required pet owners in the city to spay, neuter and microchip their animals. . Click here to read PIJAC’s original PetAlert on this issue.
New Hampshire. **PASSED SENATE** An amended version of House Bill 325 passed the Senate on April 18th and has been sent back to the House for concurrence. As originally drafted, the bill would have established new licensing and inspection requirements for “pet vendors” and would have imposed additional restrictions on the sale of companion animals. As amended, the bill now only contains official health certificate language, and the pet vendor language has been removed. Read PIJAC’s original PetAlert for more details about this legislation.
BREEDER/KENNEL
Hawaii. **IN CONFERENCE COMMITTEE** What was originally introduced as dogfighting legislation was overhauled by the Senate by amending bill language to include dog limit laws, breeder licensing provisions, pet store requirements and more. As amended, House Bill 108 would prohibit any person from owning or having custody of more than 30 dogs over one year of age with intact sexual organs. It provides a list of standards of care requirements for specified persons who have more than 10 dogs over age four months with intact sexual organs. Other provisions in the bill include new licensing requirements and breeding restrictions for dog breeders, and a retail pet store mandate to supply breeder information to purchasers. HB 108 passed the Senate on April 12th, however the House disagreed with the Senate’s amendments and the bill will now be taken up by a Conference Committee. The Senate appointed its conferees on April 23rd, while the House has yet to appoint its own. Click here to read PIJAC’s PetAlert on this issue.
Oklahoma. **PASSED BY HOUSE** Legislation to establish a new licensing system for dog and cat breeders in Oklahoma moved forward as the state House passed Senate Bill 1919 with a substitute on April 23rd. The legislation charges the State Board of Agriculture with administering the law and directs the Board to adopt regulations for its implementation, and creates a new advisory council to provide “advice and recommendations” to the Board. SB 1919 was sent back to the Senate for concurrence with the House’s amendments. Click here to read PIJAC’s PetAlert on this bill.
EXOTIC ANIMALS/WILDLIFE
Nebraska. **DIED ON ADJOURNMENT** Legislative Bill 64 died in the Natural Resources Committee on April 18th when the Nebraska Legislature adjourned its 2011-2012 session. LB 64 proposed amendments to current law by listing new species that would have required “captive wildlife permits”. The bill provided new definitions, in the form of a list of species, for “wild mammals” and “wild reptiles” that included some species that could be considered as pets. The bill also provided insurance provisions, display requirements and release/escape protocol for permit holders. Click here to read PIJAC’s original PetAlert on this issue.
Pennsylvania. **ON SENATE CALENDAR** House Bill 1398 would prohibit personal ownership of “all nonindigenous animals”. The bill does not define nonindigenous animals, which technically means all animals not native to Pennsylvania. The bill does exempt “domestic animals”, but without further legislative clarification of what constitutes a “nonindigenous animal” this bill could potentially ban many animals currently in the pet trade! HB 1398 has passed the House and now awaits a vote in the Senate before being sent to Governor Corbett to be signed into law. Click here to read PIJAC’s PetAlert on this legislation.
AVIAN
Rhode Island. **PASSED HOUSE** HB 7137, which would allow psittacine birds to be microchipped instead of fitted with an identifying band, and would permit birds exposed to psittacosis to be treated rather than destroyed, was passed by the House on April 26th and is currently awaiting committee assignment in the Senate. The bill’s companion, SB 2031, is set to be heard by the House Judiciary Committee on May 1st. Click here to read PIJAC’s PetAlert on this legislation.
AQUATICS
Hawaii. **IN CONFERENCE COMMITTEE** As originally drafted, Senate Bill 580 would have prohibited any person, at any time, from knowingly or intentionally selling or offering to sell, for aquarium purposes, aquatic life taken from any Hawaiian waters. SB 580 was substituted in committee on March 22nd with language establishing two new marine life conservation districts on the island of Maui. The aquarium fish prohibition language was struck from the bill. SB 580 has passed the House, however the Senate disagreed with the House’s amendments. A Conference Committee was appointed on April 17th to iron out the differences. Click here to read PIJAC’s original PetAlert on this bill.
2011-2012 SESSION SUMMARY
Forty-six states and the U.S. Congress have convened their 2012 sessions. The following states have adjourned their 2012 sessions: AK, AR, FL, GA, ID, IN, KY, MD, NE, NM, OR, SD, UT, VA, WA, WI, WV and WY. Montana, Nevada, North Dakota and Texas will not meet in 2012. Click here to view a 2012 State Legislature Session Calendar to see when your state adjourns. Through the first year of a two-year session, PIJAC has screened more than 14,000 pet industry-related bills, ordinances, and regulatory proposals, and is actively tracking more than 1,500.
JOIN PIJAC AND BECOME EVEN BETTER INFORMED
PIJAC membership is open to all segments of the pet industry, as well as individual pet enthusiasts. Pet-related businesses, please visit the PIJAC website for membership information: www.pijac.org or contact Nancy Knutson, Director of Member Services: [email protected].
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PIJAC E-News is copyrighted by the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council. PIJAC is currently granting permission to further transmit this newsletter to interested parties in whole or part provided that: 1) the PIJAC copyright is referenced, 2) full attribution is given to PIJAC, and 3) the wording is conveyed in exactly the manner that it was provided by PIJAC. PIJAC reserves the right to change its reproduction/transmission policy at any time.
CONTACT US
If you need more information on government affairs issues, please contact Michael Maddox, Vice President of Government Affairs and General Counsel at: [email protected]. For all other matters, please contact Mike Canning, President/CEO at: [email protected].
THE PET INDUSTRY JOINT ADVISORY COUNCIL (PIJAC)
1140 19th Street, NW, Ste 300, Washington, DC 20036
Tel: (202) 452-1525 / (800) 553-PETS, [email protected]
© PIJAC, 2012
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