California Legislation on Animals, as of April 1, 2010 (List A)

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"Virginia Handley" <virginia"Virginia Handley" <virginiaCalifornia Legislation on Animals, as of April 1, 2010 (List A) Paw PACPO Box 475012, SF 941472010 CALIFORNIA LEGISLATION as of April 1, 2010NEXT LEGISLATIVE MEETING: APRIL 5, ROOM 113. 10:30 TO 12:30STATE CAPITOL BUILDING, SACRAMENTOALL ANIMAL ADVOCATES WELCOMEASSEMBLYAB 979 by Assemblyman Tom Berryhill re: Hunting. Oppose. Prohibits any local ordinance that limits hunting. Next Hearing: Senate Floor. Write: Your Senator. Tell him/her that AB 979, introduced in 2009, is another attempt by hunters to prohibit locals from having any power over hunting in their communities. AB 1254 by Assemblyman Tom Berryhill re: Tresspassing. Repeals current law on trespassing saying it is redundant. Next Hearing: Senate Natural Resources. AB 1656 by Assemblywoman Fiona Ma re: Fur Labeling. Support. Requires all fur products to declare the species and country of origin. Next Hearing: Assembly Floor. April 5 Write; Your Assembly Member. Tell him/her that federal law requires labeling of fur worth over $150. A lot of fur is sold in California under $150, often as trim. AB 1656 closes that loophole. AB 1675 by Assemblyman Curt Hagman re: Tresspassing. Makes it a misdemeanor to trespass at a zoo or aquarium. AB 1956 by Assemblyman Bill Monning re: Condors. Concerns memorandums of understanding on the feeding of condors. Next Hearing: Assembly Approriations. AB 1980 by Assemblywoman Mary Hayashi re: Animal Shelters. Support. Allows animals shelters to provide first aid for injured animals. Hearing: Assembly Business & Professions. Write: Assemblywoman Mary Hayashi, Chair. Thank her for introducing AB 1980. Animals come into shelters who need immediate attention. AB 1980 makes it clear in the Veterinary Practices Act that first aid can be given by shelters until the animal can get treatment from a veterinarian. AB 2012 by Assemblyman Ted Lieu re: Cruelty Penalties. Revises penalties for animal cruelty to make sections consistent that animal abusers can be charged with a misdemeanor or a felony. Hearing: Assembly Public Safety. April 10. AB 2223 by Assemblyman Pedro Nava re: Lead Shot. Support. Prohibits lead shot in designated wildlife areas. Hearing: Assembly Water, Parks & Wildlife. April 13. Write: Assemblyman Jared Huffman, Chair. Tell him that lead is banned in products to protect the public yet is allowed to poison our wildlife with lead bullets. AB 2411 by Assemblyman Dave Jones re: Pet Insurance. Support. Provides regulation of pet insurance, such as allowing pre-existing conditions. People buy pet insurance without being fully informed. Hearing: Assembly Insurance. April 7. Write: Assemblyman Jose Solorio, Chair. Tell him many people depend on insurance for medical care of their animals. They need complete consumer information and protection of their animals’ health. AB 2689 by Assemblyman Cameron Smyth re: Rabies States intention to allow animal control to use e-mail, computers, and faxes to have information on rabies vaccinations which are required for dogs to be licensed. AB 2716 by Assembly Hearing: Assembly Local Government. April 21 ACA 11 by Assemblyman Bill Berryhill re: Hunting. Oppose. Amends the Constitution to declare the right to hunt/fish and say that only the Legislature or the Fish & Game Commission can regulate hunting/fishing, specifically including “traditional methods” such as “bows and arrows .” Hearing: Assembly Water, Parks & Wildlife. April 13. Write: Assemblyman Jared Huffman, Chair. Tell him that ACA 11 is an attempt to prevent any initiative (such as those passed on mountain lions and trapping) or local ordinance on wildlife protection. Hunters know they can’t control the general public who support wildlife protection . ACA 13 by Assemblyman Ed Hernandez re: Initiatives Requires that initiatives be given to the Legislature for possible amendments and passed as a bill instead of going to the ballot. Introduced in 2009, ACA 13 originally would have required initiative proponents to accept amendments or have to submit more signatures which would have crippled citizen intiatives. The requirement for additional signatures has been removed. Next Hearing: Assembly Floor. SENATE SB 250 by Senator Dean Florez re: Spay/Neuter. Support. Requires dogs/cats to be spayed/neutered with exemptions. SB 250 was introduced in 2009 but failed passage on the Assembly Floor. Next Hearing: Assembly Floor. Write: Your Assembly Member. Tell him/her that pet overpopulation costs the lives of animals and cities/counties millions of dollars to kill them for lack of space in shelters. SB 1058 Senator Tom Harman re: Hunting. Oppose. Declares hunting and fishing to be particularly desirable in state wildlife management areas and sets up the Upland Game Bird Account and the Big Game Management Account in which the money can only be used to enhance those hunting programs. Next Hearing: Senate Apporpriations Write: Senator Christine Kehoe, Chair. Tell her that the vast majority of Californians support wildlife protection for their own intrinsic value and that hunting is a priority of only 3% of the population. SB 1277 by Senator Dean Florez re: Animal Abuse Registration. Support. Requires those convicted of felony animal abuse to register with local authorities and imposes a tax on pet food to pay for the program making the information available to the public. Amendments expected. Hearing: Senate Public Safety. April 20. Write: Senator Mark Leno, Chair. Tell him animal abusers, like sex offenders, move from county to county to repeat their crimes. SB 1349 by Senator Dave Cogdill re: Endangered Species. Would authorize the “take” of some “endangered species. SB 1417 by Senator Dave Cox re: Humane Officers. Oppose Unless Amended. Puts additional requirements on an organization applying to a judge to appoint a humane officer. SB 1417 requires that a humane society be in existence for five years before being able to have a humane officer and that the judge confer with local law enforcement before making the appointment. Hearing: Senate Judiciary. Write: Senator Ellen Corbett, Chair. Tell her that while it is reasonable for judges to confer with local law enforcement before giving someone humane officer status, it is unreasonable to mandate a five year wait before that status can be considered. Humane officers are essential to protect animals . SB 1375 by Senator Calderon re: Kangaroos. Oppose. Removes the meager provisions passed last year on kangaroo product importation, such as not allowing importation if the quota is increased. Kangaroos, like the baby seals in Canada, are killed horribly by the many thousands. Although the US does not allow the importation of baby seal skins, Adidas and the Australian government want kangaroo skins for athletic shoes, which have been banned for many years, to be sold in California with no restrictions. Hearing: Senate Natural Resources & Wildlife. Write: Senator Fran Pavley, Chair. Remind her that the Senate Natural Resources Committee passed the bill allowing these importations with these meager provisions. That bill should have been killed in that committee last year so it is not right for the committee to weaken it further. SJR 22 by Dean Florez re: Horses. Support. Asks the President and Congress to support federal legislation to protect horses from slaughter. Next Hearing: Senate Floor. Write: Your Senator. Tell him/her that California has banned horse slaughter but we need a national ban to prevent our California horses from being sent out of state, or Mexico or Canada to be slaughtered Budget 2010 budget once again “suspends” the Hayden law which requires longer holding periods in shelters. This “unfunded state mandate” has costs cities/counties millions of dollars which the state is no longer willing/able to reimburse. Although it is still on the books, the state will not pay for it and cities/counties are not obliged to adhere to it. CALIFORNIA FISH & GAME COMMISSION1416 -9TH ST. SACRAMENTO, CA 95814 Bear Hunting. Oppose Expands bear hunting by removing the quota on numbers of bears to be killed, starting bear hunting in San Luis Obispo County and expanding it in Lassen and Modoc Counties, allowing use of high-tech devices to locate bears and “tip switches” on hound collars when a bear has been treed and it expands the hound training season. Next Hearing: April 8. 2600 Sand Dunes Dr. Monterey Write: Calif Fish & Game Commission. Tell them that there is no justification to expand bear hunting or to allow high tech devices for lazy, unethical hunters. According to law, wildlife “belongs” to all the people of California who want them alive, not just the tiny percentage of trophy hunters. Also, the Fish & Game Code requires the Commission to “consider the welfare of individual animals.” Turtle and Frog Importation Ban. Support. Prohibits permits for turtles and frogs for live animal markets. Next Hearing: April 8. 2600 Sand Dunes Dr. Monterey. Write: Calif Fish & Game Commission. Thank them for stopping the importation of millions of non-native frogs and turtles who come in injured and diseased for the markets and are commonly released into the wild competing and killing our native wildlife. All legislators can be addressed: State Capitol Building, Sacramento, California 95814. Compiled by: Virginia Handley, Paw PAC, 415/646-0622, PO Box 475012, SF 94147.