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Legislative Session 07 – was not a productive year for animal legislation
March 7
HB 2206 was pulled by the Rules Committee. It did not have the second reading.
March 6
HB 2206 which makes it a law to remove apparel, collars, etc. from a dog without the owner's permission is on second reading Wed. It should pass the senate on Thursday and be sent to the Governor for his signature.
SB 413 which changes some procedures for prosecution of cruelty to animals has passed both houses and is now on the way to the Governor for his signature.
HB 2390 bill that makes commercial exotics and deer farms entitled to payment out of the Dog Kennel Fund when a dog (owner unknown) kills one. It inserts deer farms, emus, ostrich commercial business into the definition of livestock, and if a dog kills any, the owner may recover the value out of the Dog Kennel Fund. This is the one that some of us have tried to kill. This bill will be on the Agriculture Committee Agenda on Wed. at 2pm. If it passes out of that committee it will go to the Finance Committee. You can still send emails to the Agriculture Committee tomorrow AM. By it being on the Agenda, it will probably pass out to the Finance Committee and then emails can be sent there. I know this is confusing.
SB 384 is dead. This is the Non Native Species Act. The House Judiciary is not going to put it on their agenda. I was told they would bring it back next year. It is too late in the session for them to hear a controversial bill. Sylvia
March 1, 2007
The following four bills are alive and moving. All other animal bills are dead.
HB 2206 removal of collars, etc. Now in Senate Natural Resources Committee and if passes there will move to Judiciary
HB 2390 bill that makes commercial exotics and deer farms entitled to payment out of the Dog Kennel Fund when a dog (owner unknown) kills one. Uses the dog kennel fund to pay for, killed by a dog ,deer on deer farms, emu, ostrich, etc if they are a commercial venture. I do not support this bill. It is now in Senate Agriculture and if passes there it will move to Senate Judiciary.
SB 384 Nonnative Species Act is now in House Agriculture Committee and then will move to Judiciary. This bill has been amended.
SB 413 Humane Officer procedures has passed the House Judiciary and is now on the way to the Floor for passage or failure.
We have been promised that SB 700 will be introduced early in the next session by both the Senate and House. This bill was the requirements for tethering. Of course, it will not have the same bill number. It failed this time due to being introduced too late in the session. If you want to help pass or kill any of these bills, please contact the committee chair and its members Sylvia
February 20, 07
SB 700 This is an important bill so contact YOUR Senator on this bill!! It defines some standards on the shelter required for dogs. It also introduces standards for tethering. We have needed this for a long time. We all know there is nothing supporting standards. This will assist humane officers with some definition on standards while currently there are none. Please email your Senator and pass on to others and ask them to specifically email their respective Senators and let’s get some support for this very important bill. There will be some controversy on this bill. Remember it took us 5 years to get a spay/neuter law through. But we have to start here with support on this. I have included the entire bill so you can see what is being added and removed. See your Senator on the list below! Thanks, Theresa Bruner
SB 700
A BILL to amend and reenact 61-8-19 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to prescribing minimum requirements relative to tethering or chaining any animal; including the length and weight of chains or tethering devices, as well as other requirements, all of which are intended to protect animals from cruel treatment; and providing criminal penalties for violations.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to prescribe minimum requirements relative to tethering or chaining animals, including the length and weight of chains or tethering devices, as well as other requirements, all of which are intended to protect animals from cruel treatment.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.
Senate Bill 700 has been introduced into the Senate Agriculture Committee and needs our attention. Now is the time to call or email the members of the committee and the sponsors of the bill. Senator Unger is a member of the committee but Senator Vic Sprouse is not and needs to be contacted as the other sponsor. Please thank these sponsors for the bill.
The bill provides for improved requirements for tethering/chaining animals. It addresses the weight and length of the tether/chain among other things. Previous exclusions are still present in this bill including the exclusion of gaming birds. Tell them you support the bill and to please put it on the agenda and ask that they support the bill too.
If any of these senators are from your district, it is especially important to contact them. They are more likely to listen to their constituents. Time is getting very short. Please do this ASAP. Betty Burkett
February 15, 2007
HB 2206 will pass the House on 2-16 and move to the Senate. This bill has a committee sub which means that it has been changed from the original bill. This is the bill that makes it a crime to remove collars, radio transmitters, etc from dogs without the owner's permission. This law would be enforced by the dog warden as it is code 19-20-12.
SB 384 Has moved to the floor for 1st reading 2-16. This bill has a committee sub. This is the Nonnative Species Regulation Act. This bill could be amended on 2nd reading 2-19 and voted up or down on third reading 2-20. This bill has been changed quite a lot, so I suggest you read the committee sub.
SB 413 that passed the Senate on 2-5 has moved from House Agriculture to House Judiciary. This is the clarification on bonding for seized animal due to cruelty. It is a good bill. This is an important bill for the prosecution of cruelty to animals. It should shorten the time it takes to prosecute a case. This means the animal would not have to be held as long. I still have not been able to speak with Senator Prezioso. I am going to email my questions to him. This is the bill on Sale or Adoption of sick or underage pets.
1. Who is going to enforce this?
2. 19-20C-2 says that shelters are exempt from the provisions of this article. The Article would be the entire bill, but if that is so, why in 19-20C-4 are shelters required to give a health certificate. It says the director of the shelter. We could not do this. Anyone that works at a shelter knows that we cannot predict kennel cough, parvo, distemper. No one knows how many days a pup sheds the parvo virus before it breaks with the disease. Also, the adopter could expose the pet after leaving the shelter. So, again as written, this bill will hurt a shelter as the HB 2869 did. Also, how many shelters have scales to weigh a pet? Sorry for the length of this email. We are in the second half of the session and that is when bills start moving. Sylvia
February 13, 2007
SB 547 was introduced yesterday. This is the Senate version of HB 2869 which protects owners from the sale or adoption of sick or under-aged pets. The senate version in my opinion is better than the House, but I still have questions. I am meeting with the bill sponsor tomorrow and I will let you know what I think. I have been involved with animal shelters since 1984 and I know all of the problems. I also know all too well the over-population problems. Too most breeders, this is just a money making scheme that is tax free due to being under the table. In other words, they do not have a business license nor a kennel license. But at the same time, I want to protect the shelters and I do know there are bad shelters
HB 3046 special license plate for pet owners was introduced today. When you read it, go to the end of the bill to find the new language. The rest is current law. " Issuing a special license plate for pet owners and pet enthusiasts." Some of the revenue would go to a special fund to be used for spay/neuter. This bill is in Road and Transportation Committee. If it clears that committee it will go to Judiciary. Please contact the members of the Road and Transportation Committee. Sylvia
Please email the following members of the House Roads and Transportation Committee with support of HB 3046 special license plate for pet owners . This is the bill that would let us have a special license plate with part of the revenue going to spay/neuter. Sylvia
February 09, 2007
SB 384: There are 3 bills dealing with exotics and pet stores. They have decided to move SB 384 which I consider to be the best of the 3. This bill passed out of Agriculture today with an amendment. The bill has moved to Senate Finance committee. If anyone wants to push this bill, they need to email Senate Finance (See committee members below) Sylvia
February 08, 2007
HB 2390 bill that makes commercial exotics and deer farms entitled to payment out of the Dog Kennel Fund when a dog (owner unknown) kills one. bill that makes commercial exotics and deer farms entitled to payment out of the Dog Kennel Fund when a dog (owner unknown) kills one. This bill was passed out of the Agriculture Committee and is now in Finance Committee. I have not been to the Statehouse this week, so I did not attend the meeting. I will check tomorrow to see if it was amended. Sylvia
February 07, 2007
HB 2869: This bill impacts animal shelters with money that none of us have. While I agree that bad breeders, bad rescues, and bad shelters need to change their ways, this bill will hurt good shelters. So therefore, the Kanawha/Charleston Humane Association does not support this bill as it is currently written. This bill also does not state who enforces what would become a new law. Animal control is certainly not able due to lack of manpower and lack of knowledge. So this implies civil suites. But I do not know and have not received a response to this question from the group that had the bill introduced. If you agree with my assessment, please email the members of the Agriculture committee with your lack of support. And if you support this bill, email them with your support. Please read this bill carefully. I have read it too many times to count. Thanks, Sylvia
Please join us for a lobby day for the animals sponsored by HSUS Feb 13th!
Lobby 101 Seminar
Tuesday February 13, 2007 10:00 - 11:30 a.m.
West Virginia Manufacturers Association (just a few blocks away from the Capitol) 2001 Quarrier Street
Charleston, WV 25311
Lobby Day at the Capitol
Tuesday February 13, 2007 Noon - 2:00 p.m.
January 31, 07
HB 2766 affects the Humane Officers codes. The purpose of the bill is to clarify procedures for seizing abandoned, neglected or cruelty treating animals. If anyone on this list is a humane officer, prosecuting attorney, or involved in the prosecution, please read this bill carefully and give me your opinion as soon as possible. I will get back to you on this bill.
HB 2774 This is another exotic bill that has been introduced before. It is the same as
SB 384 which was also introduced today. I will have to talk to the bill sponsors to see which bill they are going to move. Then I will get back to you.
SB 397 Greyhound Breeding Development Fund may interest some of you. It is making varied changes to the current law Greyhound Breeding Development Fund.
Sylvia
January 30, 07
HB 2737 Cockfighting prohibition was introduced today. The purpose of this bill is to prohibit the use of any animal in animal fighting ventures and to expand the application felony criminal penalties to include additional activities carried on for the purpose of supporting animal fighting. Attending an animal fight remains a misdemeanor."
This will be a very difficult bill to pass. Humane people will have to work hard if we are to have any success. The average person does not know the true story on cockfighting, how common it is, the money involved, the power people involved, and the members of our legislature who are opposed to the passage of this bill or any bill that pertains to cockfighting
Please help to bring WV out of the dark ages when blood sports were common. Thanks, Sylvia
January 19, 07
HB 2337 was introduced today. It is requirements for tethering dogs and the penalties. The language is in a new section of the code which is 19-20-26. I would have liked it to be in the cruelty code 61-8-19. Sylvia
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