2015 Legislation

HB1654 REGULATION-TECH (DURKIN J)   **MONITORING**

Amends the Animal Welfare Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Current Status: 2/17/2015 - Assigned to House Executive

Recent Status: 2/17/2015 - Referred to House Rules

2/17/2015 - FIRST READING

HB1994 REGULATION-TECH (DURKIN J)   **MONITORING**

Amends the Animal Welfare Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Current Status: 2/17/2015 - Assigned to House Executive

Recent Status: 2/17/2015 - Referred to House Rules

2/17/2015 - FIRST READING

HB2242 REGULATION-TECH (DURKIN J)   **MONITORING**

Amends the Animal Welfare Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Current Status: 2/17/2015 - Assigned to House Executive

Recent Status: 2/17/2015 - Referred to House Rules

2/17/2015 - FIRST READING

HB2589 DO NOT ADOPT REGISTRY (TABARES S)   **OPPOSED**

Amends the Humane Care for Animals Act. Provides that, upon entering a conviction for a violation of specified provisions of the Act, or of specified provisions of the Criminal Code of 2012, by a defendant 18 years of age or older, the presiding judge shall notify the defendant that he or she must register with the national Do Not Adopt Registry. Provides that the defendant shall register with the national Do Not Adopt Registry within 10 days after the conviction and shall register annually for 10 years after the conviction. Provides that failure to properly register as required under the Act shall be a business offense with a fine of $100 for the first offense, $500 for the second offense, and $1,000 for the third or subsequent offense. Provides that any animal shelter, pet store, animal breeder, or person shall conduct a search of the national Do Not Adopt Registry prior to selling, transferring, delivering, or placing for adoption a companion animal to another person. 

Current Status: 2/19/2015 - Referred to House Rules

Recent Status: 2/19/2015 - FIRST READING

2/18/2015 - Filed with the Clerk by Rep. Silvana Tabares

TALKING POINTS

**The Illinois Federation of Dog Clubs and Owners (IFCDO) supports full enforcement of existing Illinois humane laws to properly convict and punish those who are guilty of crimes involving animals. We do not believe the creation of a Do Not Adopt Registry is in the best interest of animals or the offenders who may never be removed from the registry stigma even after completing their sentences. Creating this registry attempts to elevate the status of animals to that of humans. Animals in Illinois currently are, and should remain, property. Illinois is currently ranked #1 by the Animal Legal Defense Fund as having the best animal cruelty laws in the United States.

** Animal Abuse Registries/Do Not Adopt Registries have been proposed annually for over a decade. Attempts to enact registries have been unsuccessful in Alabama, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Maine, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Nevada, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and previously in Illinois

** Enacting HB2589 has a price tag. The ALDF registry scheme will burden courts with additional data processing and system development costs. Who will be responsible for enforcing and tracking down animal abuse offenders who do not register annually or pay the fines involved?

** There will be costs involved in verifying that the offender properly registers yearly with the correct information. The bill does not outline who will be responsible for those costs. Similar "Do-Not-Adopt" bills in 28 other states have all been defeated due to lack of funding mechanisms needed to reimburse government expense for the necessary costs.

HB3231 ANIMAL CRUELTY-MINOR PRESENT (BURKE D)   **MONITORING**

Amends the Humane Care for Animals Act. Provides that no person may knowingly beat, cruelly treat, torment, starve, overwork, or otherwise abuse any companion animal in the presence of a minor. Provides that any person convicted of this violation shall be subject to a fine of $250 and ordered to perform community service for not less than 200 hours, if community service is available in the jurisdiction, in addition to any other authorized penalties. Provides that, at the discretion of the court, a defendant convicted of this offense shall be liable for the cost of any counseling required for the minor.

Current Status: 2/25/2015 - Referred to House Rules

Recent Status: 2/25/2015 - FIRST READING

2/25/2015 - Filed with the Clerk by Rep. Daniel J. Burke

HB3356 REGULATION-TECH (BENNETT T)   **MONITORING**

Amends the Animal Welfare Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Current Status: 2/26/2015 - Referred to House Rules

Recent Status: 2/26/2015 - FIRST READING

2/26/2015 - Filed with the Clerk by Rep. Thomas Bennett

HB3474 ANIMALS-TECH (LANG L)   **MONITORING**

Amends the Humane Care for Animals Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Current Status: 2/26/2015 - Referred to House Rules

Recent Status: 2/26/2015 - FIRST READING

2/26/2015 - Filed with the Clerk by Rep. Lou Lang

HB3573  Dyeing Animals  (Tabares)  **OPPOSED*

Amends the Humane Care for Animals Act. Provides that no person may sell, offer for sale, barter, or give away as a pet or novelty any hermit crab or goldfish which has been dyed, colored, or otherwise treated to impart an artificial color thereto. Provides that a violation of this provision is a Class B misdemeanor.

HB3585 Animal Devocalization (Ammons)  **OPPOSED**

Amends the Humane Care for Animals Act. Provides that no person, except a veterinarian licensed in this State, using anesthesia, may surgically debark or silence a dog or cat. Provides that a veterinarian conducting a debarking procedure must file a written certification with the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, stating that the surgical debarking or silencing is medically necessary to treat or relieve an illness, disease, or injury, or correct a congenital abnormality that is causing or will cause the dog or cat medical harm or pain. Provides that violation of this provision is a Class 3 felony and may have a fine of not more than $2,500 imposed or imprisoned up to 5 years, or both fined and imprisoned.

Talking Points

The Illinois Federation of Dog Clubs and Owners (IFDCO), is comprised of thousands of Illinois dog professionals. IFDCO fully supports the Illinois State Veterinary Medical Association and the American Veterinary Medical Association’s position on Devocaliztion (bark softening) .

“Canine devocalization should only be performed by qualified, licensed veterinarians as a final alternative to euthanasia after behavioral modification to correct excessive vocalization has failed and after discussion of potential complications from the procedure with the owner.”

**Devocalization is a viable veterinary procedure that may allow a dog owner to keep a dog that barks excessively in its loving home rather than to be forced to surrender it to a shelter and potential euthanasia.

**Devocalization should only be performed by a qualified, licensed veterinarian after other behavioral modification efforts to correct excessive barking have failed. As with other veterinary medical decisions, the decision to debark a dog is best left to individual owners and their veterinarians. HB3585 is an intrusion into the veterinary/client decision making process

**Devocalization, or “bark softening” is a veterinary procedure that softens a dog’s bark by altering a dog’s vocal cords with a laser or biopsy tool. The dog may still bark, but at a softer volume. When performed correctly by a veterinarian, the most common method is non-invasive, takes just a couple minutes to perform, and again has no lasting negative effects.

**Much of the opposition regarding this procedure comes from a misunderstanding of why and how it is performed. Many believe this procedure is painful, performed purely for convenience or cosmetic reasons and have no value. This is completely false. In fact, this practice is significantly less painful and much less physically traumatic for the dogs than common surgeries such as spaying and neutering.

**It would be very difficult to legally re-home any dog that was "devocalized" prior to the date of enactment since it would be unlikely that such an animal would have a veterinary certificate explaining the "medical" need for the surgery. Depending upon interpretation of the wording this would not only affect private breeders and owners, but quite possibly shelters and rescues as well. Such a dog would have to be sent out-of-state for "sale", and if this were not possible, the animal would be euthanized.

HB3773 ANIMAL ABUSE REGISTRY (TABARES S)   **OPPOSED**

Amends the State Finance Act. Creates the Animal Abuse Registry Fund. Amends the Humane Care for Animals Act. Provides that the Department of Agriculture shall create and maintain an animal abuse registry. Provides that any person 18 years of age or older that resides in or is domiciled in this State that has been convicted of cruel treatment, aggravated cruelty, or animal torture shall register with the Department of Agriculture within 30 calendar days after the date of conviction to be placed on the animal abuse registry. Failure to register is a Class B misdemeanor for a first offense and a Class 4 felony for a subsequent violation. Prohibits a registered person from owning a companion animal or being employed at an animal shelter, pound, pet shop, zoo, or other business where companion animals are present.

Current Status: 2/27/2015 - Referred to House Rules

Recent Status: 2/27/2015 - FIRST READING

2/26/2015 - Filed with the Clerk by Rep. Silvana Tabares

Talking points

The Illinois Federation of Dog Clubs and Owners (IFCDO) supports full enforcement of existing Illinois humane laws to properly convict and punish those who are guilty of crimes involving animals. We do not believe the creation of Animal Abuse Registry is in the best interest of animals or the state of Illinois for the reasons listed below.

** Animal abuse cases comprise less than 1% of all convictions in the State of Illinois. At this time, the small percentage of convictions does not warrant the large expenditure of funds required to set up and maintain a registry.

** Animal Abuse registries are expensive to set up and maintain. The Virginia Department of State Police estimated that approximately $986,000 would be needed to design and develop a new registry and website and an additional $126,411 each year for associated support services. Additional monies would be needed to provide legal services to review and defend legal issues associated with the registry and the quality assurance for the accuracy of the data.

** Money would be better spent hiring additional Illinois Department of Agriculture (DOA) Inspectors to allow better enforcement of Illinois humane laws. Currently DOA is operating with 8 less state-wide inspectors than 2003.

** The State of Illinois doesn’t maintain public databases for convicted Child Abusers, Domestic Abusers, Burglars, or Drug Traffickers, all of which comprise a much greater percentage of felony convictions in Illinois.

** The bill lacks definition of psychiatric or psychological testing required to be removed from the registry. No such testing exists, nor will psychiatrists and psychologists accept liability without clearly defined testing procedures.

HB3855 REGULATION-TECH (FORD L)   **MONITORING**

Amends the Animal Welfare Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Current Status: 2/27/2015 - Referred to House Rules

Recent Status: 2/27/2015 - FIRST READING

2/27/2015 - Filed with the Clerk by Rep. La Shawn K. Ford

HB4000 HUMANE ANIMAL EUTHANASIA (RITA R)  **OPPOSED**

Amends the Humane Euthanasia in Animal Shelters Act. Changes references from "Director" to "Secretary". Removes a requirement for certified euthanasia technicians to renew his or her certification every 5 years. Makes changes to provisions concerning investigations, hearings, certification of record, criminal penalties, confidentiality, and surrender and restoration of certificates. Provides that the Secretary of Financial and Professional Regulation may summarily suspend the certificate of a euthanasia agency or euthanasia technician without a hearing, simultaneously with the institution of proceedings for a hearing, if the Secretary finds that the evidence indicates that the continued practice of the certified euthanasia agency or technician would constitute cruelty or an imminent danger to the public. Makes other changes.

Current Status: 2/27/2015 - Referred to House Rules

Recent Status: 2/27/2015 - FIRST READING

2/27/2015 - Filed with the Clerk by Rep. Robert Rita

Talking points

The Illinois Federation of Dog Clubs and Owners (IFDCO), is comprised of thousands of Illinois dog professionals.

**HB4000 seeks to remove the 5 year recertification for euthanasia technicians. IFDCO believes recertification (every 5 years) of individuals charged with euthanizing animals as outlined in current law should be upheld.

**Removing recertification
requirements for euthanasia technicians could allow technicians to
become lack in changes in drug formulations or techniques which may assist in a more humane euthanasia.

**Veterinary medicine is forever changing with new drugs, uses and actions in the care of animals and
frequently improved methods. Due to these factors the State of Illinois, requires Veterinarians
and Certified Veterinary Technicians to attended continuing
education and recertification courses every 2 years. Euthanasia technicians, who are ending animals lives should be held to the same standard.

** Handling
of animals, their treatment, and euthanasia is a difficult
process even when the animals are healthy. Some animals may
be in a compromised health state so due
diligence must be exercised to maintain compliance and prevent more harm to the animal. New methods for restraint and options should be
required for certification to insure the euthanasia
technician fully understands the complexities of the task and performs the euthanasia in the most humane way possible.

HB4029 ANIMAL WELFARE-IDENTIFY OWNER (CONROY D)   **SUPPORT**

Amends the Animal Welfare Act. Requires that, within 24 hours after the intake of any dog or cat into a shelter, the dog or cat must be scanned for the presence of a microchip and examined for other currently acceptable methods of identification, including, but not limited to, identification tags, tattoos, and rabies license tags. Provides that the shelter director shall give notice of not less than 7 business days to the owner, agent, or caretaker prior to release of the animal to a foster home or different shelter or the adoption or euthanasia of the animal. Requires that, prior to transferring the dog or cat to another animal shelter or to a rescue group or for purposes of euthanization, the dog or cat shall be scanned again for the presence of a microchip and examined for other means of identification. Defines "owner" and "shelter director".

Current Status: 2/27/2015 - Referred to House Rules

Recent Status: 2/27/2015 - FIRST READING

2/27/2015 - Filed with the Clerk by Rep. Deborah Conroy

Talking Points

​The Illinois Federation of Dog Clubs and Owners (IFDCO) is comprised of thousands of Illinois dog professionals. IFDCO successfully introduced similar language in 2011 that became law. That bill was directed to the Animal Control Act and thus had no authority regarding shelters and rescue groups in Illinois. IFDCO introduced HB4029 so that the same language would be enforced by shelters and rescue groups in Illinois. The goal is to reunite lost animals with their owners and lessen the numbers of animals impounded, euthanized, transferred or adopted to others when an owner is searching for that lost pet.

** This bill will require shelters and rescues to follow the same procedures an animal control facility must follow in order to return lost pets to their owners.

** The American Kennel Club has reported an 800% increase in the number of dogs stolen in the US since 2008. HB4029 will help reunite stolen dogs with their owners through enforced scanning of microchips and contact of registered owners by shelters and rescues who may unknowingly receive these animals.

** There are over 100 licensed shelters and rescues in Cook County alone. Residents who lose an animal there face an impossible task to contact all these groups to find their pet. This bill will increase a lost animal's chances of getting home.

** HB4029 also requires that if the first registered owner on the microchip cannot be located that any secondary contact may reclaim the animal. People move, leave on vacation, become ill, pass away and be unable to respond to the notice of a lost animal. Requiring shelters and rescues to contact all registered on a microchip increases the chance that the animal will avoid staying in a shelter or be euthanized and be returned to those who cared enough to register their names as contacts on the microchip.

** Requiring shelters and rescues to scan and contact owners on ALL animals taken in to their facilities or care will reduce the number of animals turned in by disgruntled neighbors or others who have an issue with an owner. There are cases where an ex-spouse turned in the family dogs to a shelter because they were angry with the other ex-spouse.

** Scanning animals again and contacting the registered owner, even in the case of requested euthanasia, will provide the extra level of security that the animal is relinquished by the true owner.

** It is common practice that when an animal is micro-chipped and the owner contacted that said owner has the first right to re-claim their pet or release their ownership of the pet to the shelter.

** IL regulations already require shelters and rescue groups to notify the local animal control agency when they take in a stray animal. If shelters and rescues follow the regulations the possibility of an animal being returned to a known hoarder or one with a record of animal neglect would then be identified by the animal control facility upon notification by the shelter or rescue that an identified pet was received.

** Any shelter or rescue that receives an animal in poor or questionable condition may always work with local animal control to document the condition of the animal and request animal control to investigate any issues found. This bill will not affect this procedure.

Call the House Executive Committee and ask them to VOTE YES on HOUSE BILL 4029.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE CONTACT INFORMATION:

Chairperson - Daniel J Burke (217) 782-1117 

Robert Rita (217) 558-1000

Chad Hayes (217) 782-4811

Edward J. Acevedo (217) 782-2855

Luis Arroyo (217) 782-0480

Greg Harris (217) 782-3835

Eddie Lee Jackson, Sr (217) 782-5951

Joe Sosnowski (217) 782-0548

Ed Sullivan (217) 782-3696

Michael W. Tryon (217) 782-0432

Arthur Turner (217) 782-8116

SB108 ANIMALS-VETERINARY KENNELS (SILVERSTEIN I)  **OPPOSED**

Amends the Animal Welfare Act. Provides that the definition of "kennel operator" does not include an animal control facility operated directly by a government agency; a veterinary hospital that does not board animals overnight for other than ongoing veterinary treatment; or a person who owns, has possession of, or harbors 5 or fewer females capable of reproduction, unless the animals are being kept overnight for a fee or compensation. Requires veterinary hospitals engaged in boarding services to obtain kennel operator licenses. Requires applicants for original licensure to provide proof of zoning compliance. Provides that the Illinois Department of Agriculture may refuse to issue a license if the applicant, or a known prospective employee of the applicant, has ever been convicted of violating an animal cruelty statute. Provides that the Department shall not (instead of may refuse to) issue or renew a license and shall (instead of may) suspend or revoke a license if an applicant or licensee has engaged in certain activities or made certain types of misleading statements. Increases licensing fees. Amends the Humane Care for Animals Act. Changes the definition of "animal shelter" to exclude veterinary hospitals or clinics that also operate overnight boarding facilities.

Current Status: 2/19/2015 - Postponed - Licensed Activities and Pensions

Recent Status: 2/11/2015 - Assigned to Senate Licensed Activities and Pensions

1/28/2015 - Referred to Senate Assignments

IFDCO Position Paper for SB 108

The Illinois Federation of Dog Clubs and Owners (IFDCO), is comprised of thousands of Illinois dog professionals. IFDCO acknowledges that there are many kennel operators, veterinarians, breeders and shelters that operate within the current laws and do an admirable job. However, all of these entities should be held to the same standards of care for the animals they harbor. IFDCO is opposed to the suggested changes to the Animal Welfare Act contained within SB 108.

** Requiring proof of zoning compliance has the potential to put legitimate businesses out of business as the zoning requirements for different licenses may differ significantly. The local community should be the decision maker for zoning compliance. There is no grandfather clause in this bill that would allow well established businesses to remain in business.

** Current Illinois law requires anyone having 6 or more intact females to obtain a “kennel Operator” license, even though the individual may never breed a litter or board an animal. This bill would force individuals who keep animals for personal enjoyment only, to seek expensive “business zoning” classification.

** There are over 700 licensed animal shelters and rescues in IL, many of which are home based and have multiple foster homes with animals as well. These shelters take in and sell dogs and cats and should be required to adhere to the same zoning requirements as a kennel operator. The only difference is the source of the animals.

** It is over-burdensome and impractical to base a licensee’s application or renewal on the possibility of hiring a person who has been convicted of an animal cruelty offense. This should be handled on a case by case basis. A small business such as a kennel operator will not have the means to determine if a prospective employee has been convicted of an animal cruelty offense without the expense of a background check.

** With the increasing incidence of animal abuse and neglect in shelters and rescues the same criteria should apply to these facilities with regard to hiring employees that have been convicted of animal cruelty. Animal cruelty is

** SB 108 removes the Illinois Department of Agriculture’s ability to consider licensee infraction on a case by case basis. Since no two situations are alike, the Department should be able to take extenuating circumstances into account when infractions occur.

** Small hobby breeders who are not currently required to be licensed but may occasionally board a female for breeding purposes frequently charge for the dog’s care while in their custody. This bill would then require them to hold a kennel operator license for an event that usually spans less than a week.

** IFDCO is concerned that if veterinary hospitals are removed from the definition of animal shelter that this will increase the number of stray animals who may be injured or are left without veterinary care if found by the public. The general public trusts a found dog to a veterinary clinic, especially when a municipal or county facility is closed. 

** Requiring a veterinary clinic to be dual licensed creates an undue burden on such facilities and is redundant.

** IFDCO can understand the need for an increase in licensing fees. However, a 300% increase is enormous and will burden small kennel operators and shelters who are already suffering from a decreased economy and funding. This is the time to encourage small businesses in Illinois, not make it burdensome to maintain a license.

SB1362 ANIMAL CONTROL-DATABASE (SILVERSTEIN I)   ** OPPOSED  **

Amends the Animal Control Act. Provides that each Administrator shall post on his or her website: (1) all locations in the county that impound dogs and cats; (2) the operating hours of those locations; (3) the contact information for those locations; and (4) the applicable redemption fees for dogs and cats. Provides that any dog found to be vicious must be listed in a database by the Administrator or Director, along with any other dangerous wild animals. Provides that the database shall include the name, current address, contact information, and other pertinent information of the owner, and the database shall be made available to first responders in the region in order to put them on notice before they respond to a call to any location.  

Current Status: 2/25/2015 - Assigned to Senate Agriculture

Recent Status: 2/18/2015 - Referred to Senate Assignments

2/18/2015 - FIRST READING

IFDCO POSITION PAPER FOR SB 1362

The Illinois Federation of Dog Clubs and Owners (IFDCO), is comprised of thousands of Illinois dog professionals. IFDCO is concerned with the safety of first responders in emergency situations but is not confident SB 1362 achieves a higher level of safety in these situations. IFDCO is opposed to the suggested changes to the Animal Control Act contained within SB 1362.

** This bill mandates action to create and maintain a vicious dog database that is made available to first responders. There is no indication of the cost to implement and maintain this database, nor who will bear the financial burden. The bill does not note the dates, hours or times that such database is available to first responders or if it will be an accessible link or page. Our state and local community budgets are already stretched thinly, another unfunded mandate will not improve the issue.

** First responders may be hesitant about responding to a call with a known vicious dog; they may delay to take extra precautions and this may put residents in danger, especially the elderly or children who are not the owners of the vicious dog. This may be more of an issue if a vicious dog has died or been moved but the list has not been updated to reflect that there is no longer a vicious dog on the premises.

** The definition of a vicious dog varies greatly in different communities. It is unclear as to which criteria will be used to determine if a vicious dog is present.

** “Any other dangerous wild animals” is not defined and no specific species is noted.

** There is no written provision regarding the confidentiality of the names and contact information for the owners of vicious dogs contained within the database. The possibility of this information becoming public knowledge puts owners at risk of property damage and/or harassment.

** What constitutes “other pertinent information of the owner”?

** It is unclear if this database will only contain those dogs that have been through the established process to determine if they are vicious, or if it may include dangerous or potentially dangerous dogs, or dogs of specific breeds as identified in certain localities.

** Police killing of dogs is on the increase in the United States. This database has the potential to increase the number of dogs killed by law enforcement as they will already be “on alert” when visiting a particular property.

** Since some shelters and rescues in Illinois are not compliant with current Illinois law requiring them to notify local animal control facilities when a stray is released to them, this bill should not exempt these facilities from compliance with the notifications of operating hours and contact information so that owners can be reunited with lost pets.

** Will this database be made available to the general public, the postal service, delivery companies or utility companies?

SB1364 HIGHER ED-RESEARCH DOGS/CATS (SILVERSTEIN I)  **MONITORING**

Creates the Research Dogs and Cats Adoption Act.

Requires (i) an institution of higher education located in this State that receives public funds for scientific, educational, or research purposes or (ii) a facility that provides research in collaboration with an institution of higher education with the use of public funds and that confines dogs or cats for scientific, educational, or research purposes and plans on euthanizing the dog or cat for other than scientific, educational, or research purposes must first offer the dog or cat to an animal rescue organization. Sets forth provisions concerning an agreement with an animal rescue organization and immunity.

Current Status: 2/25/2015 - Assigned to Senate Agriculture

Recent Status: 2/18/2015 - Referred to Senate Assignments

2/18/2015 - FIRST READING

SB1767 REGULATION-TECH (CUNNINGHAM B)   **MONITORING**

Amends the Animal Welfare Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Current Status: 2/20/2015 - Referred to Senate Assignments

Recent Status: 2/20/2015 - FIRST READING

2/20/2015 - Filed with Secretary by Sen. Bill Cunningham

SB1824 CRIM CD-DANGEROUS ANIMALS (RAOUL K)   **MONITORING**

Amends the Criminal Code of 2012 concerning dangerous animals. Adds a definition of "animal refuge" to the statute on dangerous animals. Provides that the prohibition on possessing dangerous animals does not apply to a properly maintained zoological park accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), circus, college or university, scientific institution, research laboratory, veterinary hospital, hound running area, or animal refuge. Provides that the prohibition on possessing dangerous animals does not prohibit a person who possesses a Class C exhibitor license from the U.S. Department of Agriculture from possessing a dangerous animal or primate; however, after the effective date of the amendatory Act the person may not breed or otherwise acquire a dangerous animal other than an ocelot, margay, lynx, bobcat, jaguarundi, hyena, wolf or coyote, or any poisonous or life-threatening reptile. Provides that the prohibition on possessing dangerous animals does not apply to any motion picture or television production company employing or contracting with a dealer or exhibitor licensed under the federal Animal Welfare Act or with a carrier, intermediate handler, or unlicensed exhibitor registered under that Act for the transportation, purchase, exhibition, or use of dangerous animals in its motion picture or television production.

Effective immediately.

Current Status: 2/20/2015 - Referred to Senate Assignments

Recent Status: 2/20/2015 - FIRST READING

2/20/2015 - Filed with Secretary by Sen. Kwame Raoul