190th Session Recap: Animal Rights

190th Session Recap: Animal Rights

S.2646 – An Act to protect animal welfare and safety in cities and towns (PAWS II)

Overview:

• Jay was a co-sponsor and advocate for this animal rights bills, as well as several others that unfortunately were not successful.
• Builds upon changes to the state’s animal cruelty laws made with passage of the PAWS Act in 2014.
• Includes provisions to ensure that abuse is reported.
• Ensures efficient enforcement of animal control laws.
• Prohibits the drowning of animals – wild and domestic.
• Updates the animal fighting law to prevent the automatic killing of animal fighting victims.
• Adds animal crimes to the list of offenses that serve as the basis for a request for a determination of detention and/or release upon conditions.
• Ensures that landlords check vacant properties for the presence of abandoned animals and clarify the law relating to when animals were abandoned.
• Updates law against animal sex abuse.
• Updates a law relating to who/what entities can be charged with certain types of animal cruelty (corporations).

Outcome: This bill was passed in both chambers and signed by the Governor on August 9, 2018

To read the full text of the bill, click here.