Bill Text: CT SB00253 | 2012 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: An Act Concerning Revisions To The Animal Importation Statutes.

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2012-03-02 - Public Hearing 03/07 [SB00253 Detail]

Download: Connecticut-2012-SB00253-Introduced.html

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General Assembly		Raised Bill No. 253
February Session, 2012		LCO No. 1280
		*01280_______ENV*
Referred to Committee on Environment
Introduced by:
(ENV)

AN ACT CONCERNING REVISIONS TO THE ANIMAL IMPORTATION STATUTES.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:

Section 1. Subsection (e) of section 22-344 of the 2012 supplement to the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage):

(e) (1) No animal importer shall import any dog or cat into this state until such person registers as an animal importer with the commissioner. Such registration shall be on a form as prescribed by the commissioner. Such registration shall require the submission of the following information: (A) The name, mailing address, business address, telephone number and Internet address of such registrant, (B) if such registrant is domiciled out-of-state, the name, Connecticut address and phone number of a Connecticut-based agent for service of process, and (C) the number of animals brought into the state during the prior year by such animal importer and the state or country of origin for each such animal. Such registration shall be accompanied by payment of a fee of one hundred dollars and shall be valid until the December thirty-first following such registration. Such registration shall be renewed annually, in accordance with the provisions of this subsection, provided the commissioner determines that such registrant complies with any requirements provided by the commissioner as to the health, safety and humane treatment of animals that is applicable to animal importers. Such registration shall not be required for any employee or volunteer of a registered animal importer or other person who is required to be licensed pursuant to the provisions of this chapter, provided such employee, volunteer or other person is not otherwise an animal importer. Any person who violates the provisions of this subdivision shall be fined not more than five hundred dollars.

(2) Any animal importer who intends to offer for sale, adoption or transfer any imported dog or cat at a venue or location that is open to the public or at an outdoor location, including, but not limited to, a parking lot or shopping center, shall provide notice to the Department of Agriculture and the municipal zoning enforcement officer of the town where any such sale, adoption or transfer will occur, not later than ten days prior to such event. Such notice shall state the date for such sale, adoption or transfer event, the exact location of such event and the anticipated number of animals for sale, adoption or transfer at such event. Any person who fails to provide notice as required pursuant to this subdivision shall be fined not more than one hundred dollars per animal that is offered for sale, adoption or transfer at such event.

(3) For the purpose of this subsection, "animal importer" means a person who brings or accepts any dog or cat into this state from any other sovereign entity with the intent and for the purpose of offering such dog or cat to any person for sale, adoption or transfer, after such dog or cat enters the state, in exchange for any fee, [sale,] voluntary contribution, service or [any] other consideration, including, but not limited to, [. "Animal importer" includes] any commercial or nonprofit animal rescue or adoption, humane relocation or delivery organization that is not otherwise required to be licensed under the provisions of this chapter.

(4) The provisions of this subsection shall not be construed to apply to any animal importer who offers a dog or cat for sale to a pet shop that is licensed in accordance with the provisions of subsection (b) of this section, provided such animal is delivered directly to a pet shop.

(5) The Commissioner of Agriculture may inspect any animal imported by an animal importer or any record required to be kept by such animal importer, provided such inspection shall not authorize the entry of the commissioner into the residence of such animal importer.

Sec. 2. Section 22-344f of the 2012 supplement to the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage):

[(a) Any animal importer, as defined in section 22-344, shall, not later than forty-eight hours after importing any dog or cat into this state and prior to the sale, adoption or transfer of such dog or cat to any person, provide for the examination of such dog or cat by a veterinarian licensed under chapter 384. Thereafter, such animal importer shall provide for the examination of such dog or cat by a veterinarian licensed under chapter 384 every ninety days until such dog or cat is sold, adopted or transferred, provided no such]

(a) No dog or cat imported into this state by an animal importer, as defined in section 22-344, as amended by this act, shall be sold, adopted or transferred to another person by [an] such animal importer unless [(1) such dog or cat was examined by] a veterinarian licensed under chapter 384 examines such dog or cat not more than fifteen days prior to [the] such sale, adoption or transfer of such dog or cat [,] and [(2)] such veterinarian determines that [provides such animal importer with a written certificate stating that] such dog or cat is free of any symptoms of any illness, infectious, contagious or communicable disease. [Such certificate] The veterinary record of any such examination shall list the name, address and contact information of such animal importer. Any animal importer who violates the provisions of this subsection shall be fined not more than five hundred dollars for each animal that is the subject of such violation.

(b) Each animal importer shall maintain a record of the veterinary services rendered to each dog or cat imported into this state by such animal importer. Such record shall be maintained by such animal importer for a period of three years. Any animal importer who violates the provisions of this subsection shall be fined five hundred dollars.

This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1	from passage	22-344(e)
Sec. 2	from passage	22-344f

Statement of Purpose:

To revise the definition of "animal importer" to exclude any person who adopts a cat or dog while such animal is still out-of-state and to reduce the frequency of required veterinary examinations of imported cats or dogs prior to the sale, adoption or transfer of such animals.

[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.]