Proposed Animal Laws, 124th Maine Legislature, 2nd installment
Mar 2009
By Christina Perkins
Three new bills have been printed and more are expected, including the bill by the Animal Welfare Program, which will propose to make changes to current laws.
Update on LD 2010—Resolve, Directing the Commissioner of Agriculture, Food and Rural Resources to Review and Make Recommendations Regarding Dog and Cat Breeding Facilities
The report of the working group was presented January 28 to the Committee on Agriculture, Forestry and Conservation by Norma Worley, the director of Maine’s Animal Welfare Program. Upon invitation by the committee, several of the task force members also spoke. The committee then voted to submit legislation, which will adopt the report, and the bill will be heard on a date to be announced at a public hearing this session. Of note is that the report included a minority report on a few points of disagreement. The Senate chair of the committee asked that the minority report be attached to the proposed bill.
To read the report, including the minority report, go online to www.maine.gov/agriculture/aw/index.html.
LD 412—An Act to Create an Animal Welfare Trailer License Plate
The bill proposes to create a new license plate for trailers beginning November 1, 2009, to allow owners of trailers to voluntarily support the Animal Welfare Program by paying $20 in addition to any existing fee for trailer registration. The Animal Welfare Program would receive $9 of the $20 for each initial registration and each renewal with the remaining money going to the Highway Fund for administration and production costs and the Specialty License Plate Fund. The funds generated from the trailer plate would be transferred to the Animal Welfare Program on a quarterly basis.
A public hearing date has not yet been announced.
LD 454—An Act to Provide Representation for Dog Clubs on the Animal Welfare Advisory Council
The bill proposes to expand the Animal Welfare Advisory Council by adding a member who represents a state-based federation of dog clubs.
A public hearing date has not yet been announced.
For information on the groups represented on the council and their representatives, go online to www.maine.gov/agriculture/aw/awac.html.
LD 517—An Act to Authorize the Employment of Animal Control Officers by Animal Shelters
This bill proposes to change the law to allow licensed animal shelters to employ animal control officers and to contract with a municipality to perform animal control services. Any animal control officer so employed would be subject to the same certification requirements as those employed by a municipality and would have the same duties.
A public hearing date has not yet been announced.
The full text of bills and status of each is available online at janus.state.me.us/legis/LawMakerWeb/search.asp (enter the LD number to search).
