Animal Welfare Issues Archives

Virginia General Assembly News

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Animal Welfare Issues

Newsletter for Week of March 11, 2006

Volume 3, Number 14

Session Review

The House and Senate members finished their regular session yesterday and returned home.  Below is a list of the bills introduced during the session and their final disposition.   Many bills were amended during the session so go to the General Assembly website to review the bills in their final forms.

Bills Introduced in 2006

PLEASE CROSS POST

Virginia General Assembly News

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Animal Welfare Issues

Newsletter for Week of January 22, 2006

Volume 3, Number 4

MEETING NOTICE

The House Agriculture Sub-Committee will meet Thursday Morning at 7 a.m. in the House Room 2 to consider the following bills:

HB265 Animal license taxes; establishes maximum tax that localities can charge.

HB278  Animal license tax; City of Newport News to impose fee on dog or cat not spayed or neutered.

HB318  Local animal control.

HB606  Animal pedigree; pet dealer representing registry org. to provide documentation of vet. exam.

HB654  Dogs and cats; those seized by animal control officers to board in kennels at owner's expense.

HB858   Cruelty to animals; violence against attacking dog shall not be in violation of provisions thereto.

HB1091  Animal euthanasia; use of gas chambers therefor prohibited.

HB1095  Pounds, shelters, & pet stores; State Vet. to inspect annually, observance of euthanasia procedure.

HB1168  Pounds, shelters, and pet stores; State Veterinarian to inspect annually.

HB1563  Animal control officer training.

WHAT TO DO??????

Attend the Subcommittee meeting. 

Testify. 

Contact members of the Subcommittee   Orrock (Chairman), Sherwood, Saxman, Plum, Shuler, Hogan, Scott, E.T., Lohr, Lewis.   (Click on the name and it will take you to contact information on the member.)

 Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go."  T.S. Elliot

Virginia General Assembly News

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Animal Welfare Issues

Newsletter for Week of January 22, 2006

Volume 3, Number 3

NOTICE----NOTICE----NOTICE

The Senate Agriculture Committee will meet tomorrow morning (Monday) at 9 a.m. in the Senate Room B for a public hearing on Control of Vicious Dogs; Companion Animals.  The animal welfare bills on the docket for tomorrow are:  SB55, SB200, SB232, SB491, and SB574. 

The House Agriculture Committee meets on Wednesday morning at 8:30 in the House Meeting Room C.  The docket has not been posted yet so go to the committee listing on the General Assembly website starting tomorrow for the posting of bills to be considered. 

Several new bills were submitted this week.  Delegate Kenneth Alexander, who conducted the training at our Lobby Day last year, has submitted a joint resolution regarding humane education.  A mirror bill has been submitted on the Senate side. 

Lobby Day:  We will be making an announcement later in the week about the date for Lobby Day.  This is your last few days to have input into the date.  Send your date requests to:  jrmcr@msn.com

A couple of folks who follow the work of the General Assembly very closely forwarded information on bills that were introduced this week.  I encourage you to do the same.  I search very diligently but sometimes I miss a bill.

More folks signed onto the newsletter this week.  Please cross-post and encourage folks to sign on.

Bills Introduced in 2006

We have listed the bills, their sponsors, Committee Appointments

and a brief summary as of January 22th. 

HB 150 Dogs; releasing upon or near posted land, penalty.
Mark L. Cole

Summary as introduced:
Releasing dogs upon or near posted land; penalty.  Prohibits releasing dogs at the border of or upon the posted land of another without permission with the intent to cause them to run across the prohibited land for the purpose of flushing game and driving it to a place where it may be taken by persons who do not have permission to hunt on the land across which the dogs have been released.

Full text:
12/28/05  House: Prefiled & ordered printed; offered 01/11/06 063445272

Status:
12/28/05  House: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/11/06 063445272
12/28/05  House: Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources

HB 172 Wildlife diseases; control thereof.
L. Scott Lingamfelter

Summary as introduced:
Control of wildlife diseases.  Authorizes the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries to promulgate regulations to control and eradicate wildlife diseases.

Full text:
12/29/05  House: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/11/06 067219380 (impact statement)
01/18/06  House: Committee substitute printed 067253380-H1

Status:
12/29/05  House: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/11/06 067219380
12/29/05  House: Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources
01/18/06  House: Reported from Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources with substitute (22-Y 0-N)
01/18/06  House: Committee substitute printed 067253380-H1
01/19/06  House: Read first time
01/20/06  House: Read second time
01/20/06  House: Committee substitute agreed to 067253380-H1
01/20/06  House: Engrossed by House - committee substitute HB172H1

HB 265 Animal license taxes; establishes maximum tax that localities can charge.
Frank D. Hargrove, Sr.

Summary as introduced:
Animal license taxes.  Increases the amount that localities can charge for animal license taxes from $10 to $35, and limits the tax for additional dogs and cats to $2.

Full text:
01/04/06  House: Prefiled & ordered printed; offered 01/11/06 066578320

Status:
01/04/06  House: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/11/06 066578320
01/04/06  House: Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources

HB 278 Animal license tax; City of Newport News to impose fee on dog or cat not spayed or neutered.
Mamye E. BaCote

Summary as introduced:
Animal license tax.  Authorizes the City of Newport News to impose a license fee of up to $35 on each dog or cat that has not been spayed or neutered.

Full text:
01/04/06  House: Prefiled & ordered printed; offered 01/11/06 062337222

Status:
01/04/06  House: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/11/06 062337222
01/04/06  House: Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources

HB 318 Local animal control.
David B. Albo

Summary as introduced:
Local animal control.  Changes the limits localities may set for a uniform schedule of civil penalties for each type of specified violation to not less than $100 or more than $500. Moneys raised pursuant to this subsection shall be placed in the locality's general fund for the purpose of animal control activities including but not limited to spay/neuter programs. Currently, civil penalties are capped at $150 unless higher authorization is provided elsewhere in the Code and the funds are not currently designated under this section for animal control activities.

Full text:
01/04/06  House: Prefiled & ordered printed; offered 01/11/06 063496204

Status:
01/04/06  House: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/11/06 062337222
01/04/06  House: Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources

HB 339 Licensing of dogs and cats.
Robert D. Orrock, Sr.

Summary as introduced:
Licensing of dogs and cats.  Requires licensed veterinarians to collect the license fee and provide dog and cat owners with a pet license receipt when administering a rabies vaccination. The duration of a license shall be equal to and run concurrent with the effective period of the rabies vaccination. The fee for a license shall be $10 for each cat or dog, $5 if the animal has been spayed or neutered. Localities shall pay veterinarians for each license receipt issued, up to $2. Localities are also allowed to charge an additional $5 for any dog or cat that is impounded without a current license. The owner of such an animal may be required to have the animal spayed or neutered.

Full text:
01/05/06  House: Prefiled & ordered printed; offered 01/11/06 060993448

Status:
01/04/06  House: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/11/06 062337222
01/04/06  House: Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources

HB 340 Control of dangerous and vicious dogs; registry; penalty.
Robert D. Orrock, Sr.

Summary as introduced:
Control of dangerous and vicious dogs; registry; penalty.  Requires cities and counties to regulate dangerous and vicious dogs.  The bill provides criminal penalties for the owners by setting out a penalty scheme ranging from a Class 4 misdemeanor to a Class 1 misdemeanor for violations that result in serious injury or disfigurement. These penalties would be applicable from the first bite.  The bill (i) expands the authority to petition a court to find a dog dangerous to any law enforcement officer and make that petition mandatory.  Creates a Virginia Dangerous Dog Registry maintained by the State Veterinarian; (ii) requires that a change in the status of dangerous dog be submitted in writing; (iii) prohibits the transfer of ownership of any dog declared dangerous, except for surrender to the local animal control; and (iv) prohibits the sale, adoption, transfer or foster of dangerous dogs by any animal control officer, pound, shelter, foster care provider or foster home, dealer, home based rescue or other releasing agency.  Surrender of dog that is subject of a pending action to animal control shall not be in lieu of prosecution.  The bill also (i) expands the definition of "dangerous dogs to include dogs that inflict injury to a companion animal requiring the animal to be euthanized; (ii) requires that a dog that has been found to be dangerous or vicious shall be so considered throughout the Commonwealth; (iii) prohibits the importation into the Commonwealth of dogs found to be dangerous or vicious; (iv) requires insurance be maintained for a dangerous dog and raise the policy limit requirement to $300,000, allows for a surety bond in lieu of an insurance policy; and (v) limits the leash length for a dangerous dog to not longer than six feet.

Full text:
01/05/06  House: Prefiled & ordered printed; offered 01/11/06 060997448

Status:
01/04/06  House: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/11/06 062337222
01/04/06  House: Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources

HB 362 Composition of Board of Game and Inland Fisheries.
L. Scott Lingamfelter

Summary as introduced:
Composition of Board of Game and Inland Fisheries.  Increases the membership of the Board and changes the criteria for selecting members of the Board. Under current law, the 11 members of the Board are appointed by the Governor, with one member representing each congressional district. The bill removes the current members and increases the number of Board members to 13, with the Speaker of the House appointing four members, the Senate Rules Committee appointing three members, and the Governor appointing six members. The terms of the new members will initially be staggered.  The bill also requires that (i) the minute books and other records of the agency be open to examination by members of the General Assembly and (ii) the appointment of the Director of the Department be subject to confirmation by the General Assembly.

Full text:
01/06/06  House: Prefiled & ordered printed; offered 01/11/06 060015380

Status:
01/06/06  House: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/11/06 060015380
01/06/06  House: Referred to Committee on General Laws
01/18/06  House: Assigned to General Laws sub-committee: #4 Prof./Occup./Admin. (Cosgrove)