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2006 California Animal Legislation Agenda
Every year, state legislators vote on dozens of bills that can either help or harm animals. Fortunately, our democratic system of government makes it possible for every single individual to make a real difference for animals by participating in the political process. All it takes is devoting a few minutes to contacting your elected officials and asking them to support legislation to protect animals and oppose bills that extend animal exploitation.
Relatively few citizens take the time to make their views heard, so the voices of those who choose to do so are greatly amplified. In fact, politicians typically count a letter or phone call from a single constituent as representative of the opinions of at least 100 voters. As a California resident, you can help animals by speaking out on their behalf. Please use this guide to current state legislation and let your elected officials know that as a constituent you support stronger laws to protect animals.
Relatively few citizens take the time to make their views heard, so the voices of those who choose to do so are greatly amplified. In fact, politicians typically count a letter or phone call from a single constituent as representative of the opinions of at least 100 voters. As a California resident, you can help animals by speaking out on their behalf. Please use this guide to current state legislation and let your elected officials know that as a constituent you support stronger laws to protect animals.
2006 California Legislation as of August 22nd, 2006
Next Legislative Meeting: August 28th from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, Room 113, Capitol Building, Sacramento (get directions - http://tinyurl.com/j3sej). All animal advocates welcome.
------------------------------------------
The legislature adjourns on August 31st.
------------------------------------------
Address for Governor and Legislators:
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814
Directory: (916) 322-9900
------------------------------------------
Current Bills
Bill: AB 87
Subject:Trapping
Sponsor: Assemblyman Rudy Bermudez
Recommended Action: Support
Summary: Exempts pest control operators licensed by the Pest Control Board and the Dept. of Pesticide Regulation from having to get a Fish and Game trapping license to trap gophers, moles, mice and rats. Any other animals trapped such as raccoons, opossums, skunks and bats would therefore require a Fish and Game trapping license that mandates testing, reporting and some humane standards.
Hearing Status: Next Hearing - Senate Floor, August (no date
set)
Contact & Message: Tell your Senator that AB 87 will help existing law to be enforced by the Dept. of Fish and Game by requiring "pest" and predator control trappers to get a license to trap animals such as raccoons, opossums, skunks, bats, coyotes, bobcats, weasels, minks, beavers, otters, foxes, badgers and muskrats.
Bill: AB 450
Subject: Disaster Planning
Sponsor: Assemblyman Leland Yee
Recommended Action: Support
Summary: Requires the Dept. of Food and Agriculture, the Office of Emergency Services and other interested parties to enter into a "memorandum of understanding" by January 31st, 2007 to incorporate the CARES (California Animal Response Emergency
System) program into their emergency planning.
Hearing Status: Next Hearing - Senate Floor Contact & Message: Tell your Senator that helping animals to survive disasters serves the animals and the people who care about them.
Bill: AB 2485
Subject: Sea Otters
Sponsor: Assemblyman Dave Jones
Recommended Action: Support
Summary: Establishes a research program to reduce sea otter mortality from pollution. Requires sign on cat litter asking that it not be flushed down toilets, thus protecting water quality. Establishes the California Sea Otter Fund on tax return forms to provide contributions to hire game wardens and pay for research.
Hearing Status: Next Hearing - Senate Floor Contact & Message: Tell your Senator that sea otters are dying needlessly and funds are needed to protect them through research and law enforcement.
Bill: AB 2862
Subject: Pet Shops
Sponsor: Assemblyman Mark Ridley-Thomas Recommended Action: Support
Summary: Requires the Department of Consumer Affairs to adopt regulations by 2008 to set standards for the care and handling of companion animals sold to the public.
Hearing Status: Next Hearing - Senate Floor Contact & Message: Tell your Senator that animals in pet shops should be treated as living beings, not merchandise.
Bill: SB 931
Subject: Polluting animal facilities
Sponsor: Senator Dean Florez
Recommended Action: Support
Summary: Prohibits factory farms, including dairies, from getting state aid for pollution control projects without complying with laws on control of manure and other hazardous wastes.
Hearing Status: Next Hearing - Assembly Floor (no date set) Contact & Message: Tell your Assembly Member that factory farms/dairies failing to meet the requirements of current laws do not deserve to be awarded state funding.
Bill: SB 1032
Subject: Hunting
Sponsor: Senator Dennis Hollingsworth
Recommended Action: Oppose
Summary: Allows out of state trophy hunters to kill California elk and antelope.
Hearing Status: Next Hearing - Governor Schwarzenegger Contact & Message: Tell Governor Schwarzenegger that SB 1032 will put more pressure on Fish and Game to increase the number of hunting tags for elk and antelope.
Bill: SB 1349
Subject: Cockfighting
Sponsor: Senator Nell Soto
Recommended Action: Support
Summary: Increases the penalty for misdemeanors and makes second offenses a possible felony.
Hearing Status: Next Hearing - Assembly Floor Contact & Message: Tell your Assembly Member that California's penalties for cockfighting are weaker than other states, thus attracting crime and cruelty here. Cockfighting also spreads disease like Newcastle and could spread avian flu.
Bill: SB 1485
Subject: Alligators/Crocodiles
Sponsor: Senator Dennis Hollingsworth
Recommended Action: Oppose
Summary: Removes the current prohibition on the importation and sale of alligator and crocodile products for three years.
Hearing Status: Next Hearing - Governor Schwarzenegger Contact & Message: Tell Governor Schwarzenegger that SB 1485 opens California up to the products of factory farmed alligators, a cruel trade. Alligator and crocodile species are difficult to identify and "farmed" products cover up poaching.
California currently prohibits alligator farming here.
Bill: SB 1578
Subject: Tethering of dogs
Sponsor: Senator Alan Lowenthal
Recommended Action: Support
Summary: Prohibits tethering of dogs for more than three hours a day. (Unfortunately, SB 1578 exempts hunting dogs and dogs used for agriculture.) Hearing Status: Next Hearing - Assembly Floor Contact & Message: Tell your Assembly Member that constantly tethered dogs live lives of neglect and misery and become dangerous to people in the process.
Fish and Game Commission:
1416 9th Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
Tel: (916) 653-4899
Subject: Live Animal Markets
Recommended Action: Support ban on animal imports Hearing Status: Next Hearing - August 24th in Santa Barbara
Summary: The Commission is considering banning the importation and sale of turtles and frogs for live animal markets.
Contact & Message: Ask the California Fish and Game Commission to ban the importation of turtles and frogs for the markets. All are non-native and many are released which threatens our native wildlife.
Updates
Bill: AB 734
Subject: Kangaroos
Sponsor: Assemblyman Mervyn Dymally
Status: Oppose - Failed
Summary: Would have allowed the importation of currently prohibited kangaroo products into California. Kangaroos are brutally killed and California is right in boycotting this trade.
Bill: AB 1800 and AB 1801
Subject: Budget
Sponsor: Assemblyman John Laird
Status: Passed
Summary: Appropriates an as yet undetermined amount to pay for the unfunded mandated costs of the Hayden law affecting animal shelters. The state will not reimburse any housing or vet costs for owner surrendered animals or stray animals who are adopted, only for adoptable strays who are euthanized (killed for lack of space and adopters). Also approved $30 million to hire additional Fish and Game wardens and park personnel.
Bill: AB 1924
Subject: Birds
Sponsor: Assemblyman Paul Koretz
Status: Support - Failed
Summary: Would have strengthened the penalties for killing, possessing, or destroying any protected, endangered, or threatened birds or the nests or eggs of those birds who need to be able to return to the same nests every year.
Bill: AB 2110
Subject: Open field coursing
Sponsor: Assemblywoman Loni Hancock
Status: Support - Failed
Summary: Would have prohibited "coursing" by dogs on rabbits and foxes for competition.
Bill: AB 2123
Subject: Condors
Sponsor: Assemblyman Pedro Nava
Status: Support - Failed
Summary: Would have prohibited lead shot ammunition, which is poisonous to condors and eagles, to be used in designated areas on big game and coyotes.
Bill: AB 2146
Subject: Hunting
Sponsor: Assemblyman Joe Canciamilla
Status: Oppose - Dropped
Summary: Would have prohibited any city/county ordinance that impacts hunting or fishing. Local governments should have a right to control hunting/fishing in their jurisdictions.
Bill: AB 2166
Subject: Hunting
Sponsor: Assemblyman Jay La Suer
Status: Oppose - Dropped
Summary: Would have established a "mentored hunting program to encourage individuals to hunt."
Bill: AB 2187
Subject: Livestock/Horses
Sponsor: Assemblywoman Carol Liu
Status: Oppose - Dropped
Summary: Would have allowed horses valued under $4,000 to be sold by lien holders (such as boarding facilities) without any court action. AB 2187 was introduced by the horse racing industry in an effort to dump losing horses to auctions and unknown fates.
Bill: AB 2273
Subject: Mountain Lions
Sponsor: Assemblyman Bill Maze
Status: Oppose - Failed
Summary: Would have allowed any person attacked by a mountain lion to apply to the California Victim Compensation Board to pay all medical and psychological bills. The money would have been taken from the Wildlife Preservation Fund.
Bill: AB 2467
Subject: Mountain Lions
Sponsor: Assemblyman Bill Maze
Status: Oppose - Dropped
Summary: Would have required California Fish and Game to enter into a "memorandum of understanding" with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to issue depredation permits for mountain lions.
Bill: AB 3027
Subject: Elephants
Sponsor: Assemblyman Lloyd Levine
Status: Support - Failed
Summary: Would have required zoos to provie five acres for three elephants and a half acre for each additional elephant. AB 3027 also would have prohibited chaining and the use of bull hooks.
Bill: Fish and Game Commission Appointment
Subject: Fish and Game Commission Appointment
Status: Oppose - Passed
Summary: Jim Kellogg, hunting advocate, has been re-appointed to the Commission.
Bill: Fish and Game Commission - Wildlife Rehabilitation Regulations
Subject: Fish and Game Commission - Wildlife Rehabilitation Regulations
Status: Support - Passed
Summary: Adds regulations covering wildlife rehabilitation organizations on inspections, oversight, fees, qualifications and standards. Wildlife rehabilitation centers provide a service to injured wildlife, the public, and Fish and Game.
For copies of bills visit http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/bilinfo.html
For 2005 Voting Chart, visit http://www.pawpac.org or contact:
Paw PAC
P.O. Box 475012
San Francisco, CA 94147
Tel: (415) 646-0622
To subscribe to the Email Legislative Alert, send your name, organization (if applicable), street address, and email address to Lernberg [at] pacbell.net.
Next Legislative Meeting: August 28th from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, Room 113, Capitol Building, Sacramento (get directions - http://tinyurl.com/j3sej). All animal advocates welcome.
------------------------------------------
The legislature adjourns on August 31st.
------------------------------------------
Address for Governor and Legislators:
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814
Directory: (916) 322-9900
------------------------------------------
Current Bills
Bill: AB 87
Subject:Trapping
Sponsor: Assemblyman Rudy Bermudez
Recommended Action: Support
Summary: Exempts pest control operators licensed by the Pest Control Board and the Dept. of Pesticide Regulation from having to get a Fish and Game trapping license to trap gophers, moles, mice and rats. Any other animals trapped such as raccoons, opossums, skunks and bats would therefore require a Fish and Game trapping license that mandates testing, reporting and some humane standards.
Hearing Status: Next Hearing - Senate Floor, August (no date
set)
Contact & Message: Tell your Senator that AB 87 will help existing law to be enforced by the Dept. of Fish and Game by requiring "pest" and predator control trappers to get a license to trap animals such as raccoons, opossums, skunks, bats, coyotes, bobcats, weasels, minks, beavers, otters, foxes, badgers and muskrats.
Bill: AB 450
Subject: Disaster Planning
Sponsor: Assemblyman Leland Yee
Recommended Action: Support
Summary: Requires the Dept. of Food and Agriculture, the Office of Emergency Services and other interested parties to enter into a "memorandum of understanding" by January 31st, 2007 to incorporate the CARES (California Animal Response Emergency
System) program into their emergency planning.
Hearing Status: Next Hearing - Senate Floor Contact & Message: Tell your Senator that helping animals to survive disasters serves the animals and the people who care about them.
Bill: AB 2485
Subject: Sea Otters
Sponsor: Assemblyman Dave Jones
Recommended Action: Support
Summary: Establishes a research program to reduce sea otter mortality from pollution. Requires sign on cat litter asking that it not be flushed down toilets, thus protecting water quality. Establishes the California Sea Otter Fund on tax return forms to provide contributions to hire game wardens and pay for research.
Hearing Status: Next Hearing - Senate Floor Contact & Message: Tell your Senator that sea otters are dying needlessly and funds are needed to protect them through research and law enforcement.
Bill: AB 2862
Subject: Pet Shops
Sponsor: Assemblyman Mark Ridley-Thomas Recommended Action: Support
Summary: Requires the Department of Consumer Affairs to adopt regulations by 2008 to set standards for the care and handling of companion animals sold to the public.
Hearing Status: Next Hearing - Senate Floor Contact & Message: Tell your Senator that animals in pet shops should be treated as living beings, not merchandise.
Bill: SB 931
Subject: Polluting animal facilities
Sponsor: Senator Dean Florez
Recommended Action: Support
Summary: Prohibits factory farms, including dairies, from getting state aid for pollution control projects without complying with laws on control of manure and other hazardous wastes.
Hearing Status: Next Hearing - Assembly Floor (no date set) Contact & Message: Tell your Assembly Member that factory farms/dairies failing to meet the requirements of current laws do not deserve to be awarded state funding.
Bill: SB 1032
Subject: Hunting
Sponsor: Senator Dennis Hollingsworth
Recommended Action: Oppose
Summary: Allows out of state trophy hunters to kill California elk and antelope.
Hearing Status: Next Hearing - Governor Schwarzenegger Contact & Message: Tell Governor Schwarzenegger that SB 1032 will put more pressure on Fish and Game to increase the number of hunting tags for elk and antelope.
Bill: SB 1349
Subject: Cockfighting
Sponsor: Senator Nell Soto
Recommended Action: Support
Summary: Increases the penalty for misdemeanors and makes second offenses a possible felony.
Hearing Status: Next Hearing - Assembly Floor Contact & Message: Tell your Assembly Member that California's penalties for cockfighting are weaker than other states, thus attracting crime and cruelty here. Cockfighting also spreads disease like Newcastle and could spread avian flu.
Bill: SB 1485
Subject: Alligators/Crocodiles
Sponsor: Senator Dennis Hollingsworth
Recommended Action: Oppose
Summary: Removes the current prohibition on the importation and sale of alligator and crocodile products for three years.
Hearing Status: Next Hearing - Governor Schwarzenegger Contact & Message: Tell Governor Schwarzenegger that SB 1485 opens California up to the products of factory farmed alligators, a cruel trade. Alligator and crocodile species are difficult to identify and "farmed" products cover up poaching.
California currently prohibits alligator farming here.
Bill: SB 1578
Subject: Tethering of dogs
Sponsor: Senator Alan Lowenthal
Recommended Action: Support
Summary: Prohibits tethering of dogs for more than three hours a day. (Unfortunately, SB 1578 exempts hunting dogs and dogs used for agriculture.) Hearing Status: Next Hearing - Assembly Floor Contact & Message: Tell your Assembly Member that constantly tethered dogs live lives of neglect and misery and become dangerous to people in the process.
Fish and Game Commission:
1416 9th Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
Tel: (916) 653-4899
Subject: Live Animal Markets
Recommended Action: Support ban on animal imports Hearing Status: Next Hearing - August 24th in Santa Barbara
Summary: The Commission is considering banning the importation and sale of turtles and frogs for live animal markets.
Contact & Message: Ask the California Fish and Game Commission to ban the importation of turtles and frogs for the markets. All are non-native and many are released which threatens our native wildlife.
Updates
Bill: AB 734
Subject: Kangaroos
Sponsor: Assemblyman Mervyn Dymally
Status: Oppose - Failed
Summary: Would have allowed the importation of currently prohibited kangaroo products into California. Kangaroos are brutally killed and California is right in boycotting this trade.
Bill: AB 1800 and AB 1801
Subject: Budget
Sponsor: Assemblyman John Laird
Status: Passed
Summary: Appropriates an as yet undetermined amount to pay for the unfunded mandated costs of the Hayden law affecting animal shelters. The state will not reimburse any housing or vet costs for owner surrendered animals or stray animals who are adopted, only for adoptable strays who are euthanized (killed for lack of space and adopters). Also approved $30 million to hire additional Fish and Game wardens and park personnel.
Bill: AB 1924
Subject: Birds
Sponsor: Assemblyman Paul Koretz
Status: Support - Failed
Summary: Would have strengthened the penalties for killing, possessing, or destroying any protected, endangered, or threatened birds or the nests or eggs of those birds who need to be able to return to the same nests every year.
Bill: AB 2110
Subject: Open field coursing
Sponsor: Assemblywoman Loni Hancock
Status: Support - Failed
Summary: Would have prohibited "coursing" by dogs on rabbits and foxes for competition.
Bill: AB 2123
Subject: Condors
Sponsor: Assemblyman Pedro Nava
Status: Support - Failed
Summary: Would have prohibited lead shot ammunition, which is poisonous to condors and eagles, to be used in designated areas on big game and coyotes.
Bill: AB 2146
Subject: Hunting
Sponsor: Assemblyman Joe Canciamilla
Status: Oppose - Dropped
Summary: Would have prohibited any city/county ordinance that impacts hunting or fishing. Local governments should have a right to control hunting/fishing in their jurisdictions.
Bill: AB 2166
Subject: Hunting
Sponsor: Assemblyman Jay La Suer
Status: Oppose - Dropped
Summary: Would have established a "mentored hunting program to encourage individuals to hunt."
Bill: AB 2187
Subject: Livestock/Horses
Sponsor: Assemblywoman Carol Liu
Status: Oppose - Dropped
Summary: Would have allowed horses valued under $4,000 to be sold by lien holders (such as boarding facilities) without any court action. AB 2187 was introduced by the horse racing industry in an effort to dump losing horses to auctions and unknown fates.
Bill: AB 2273
Subject: Mountain Lions
Sponsor: Assemblyman Bill Maze
Status: Oppose - Failed
Summary: Would have allowed any person attacked by a mountain lion to apply to the California Victim Compensation Board to pay all medical and psychological bills. The money would have been taken from the Wildlife Preservation Fund.
Bill: AB 2467
Subject: Mountain Lions
Sponsor: Assemblyman Bill Maze
Status: Oppose - Dropped
Summary: Would have required California Fish and Game to enter into a "memorandum of understanding" with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to issue depredation permits for mountain lions.
Bill: AB 3027
Subject: Elephants
Sponsor: Assemblyman Lloyd Levine
Status: Support - Failed
Summary: Would have required zoos to provie five acres for three elephants and a half acre for each additional elephant. AB 3027 also would have prohibited chaining and the use of bull hooks.
Bill: Fish and Game Commission Appointment
Subject: Fish and Game Commission Appointment
Status: Oppose - Passed
Summary: Jim Kellogg, hunting advocate, has been re-appointed to the Commission.
Bill: Fish and Game Commission - Wildlife Rehabilitation Regulations
Subject: Fish and Game Commission - Wildlife Rehabilitation Regulations
Status: Support - Passed
Summary: Adds regulations covering wildlife rehabilitation organizations on inspections, oversight, fees, qualifications and standards. Wildlife rehabilitation centers provide a service to injured wildlife, the public, and Fish and Game.
For copies of bills visit http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/bilinfo.html
For 2005 Voting Chart, visit http://www.pawpac.org or contact:
Paw PAC
P.O. Box 475012
San Francisco, CA 94147
Tel: (415) 646-0622
To subscribe to the Email Legislative Alert, send your name, organization (if applicable), street address, and email address to Lernberg [at] pacbell.net.
For more information:
http://www.idausa.org
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