Late Wednesday night, the Connecticut (CT) General Assembly finalized the legislative session and adjourned. American Kennel Club Government Relations (AKC GR) appreciates the advocacy of the Connecticut Federation of Dog Clubs and Responsible Dog Owners (CFDRDO). Below is a summary of key legislation.
PROHIBITING INSURANCE DOG BREED DISCRIMINATION STALLS: AKC thanks the CT residents who contacted their State Representative in response to AKC’s update last month. Despite support and passage in the Senate, amended S. 1386 was not advanced by the House of Representatives.
BILLS BANNING SALE OF DOGS AND CATS AT RETAIL AND NEGATING CONSUMER PROTECTIONS FAIL: Two retail ban bills that were reported out of committee favorably and sat on the House calendar for weeks did not advance before the session adjourned. The first bill, HB 6832, would have authorized municipalities to adopt local ordinances banning the retail sale of dogs, cats, and rabbits, resulting in a patchwork of rules across the state. The city of Stamford, which was waiting to see if this bill passed to move forward with their ban, will remain preempted from doing so. The second bill, HB 6240 as amended, would have prohibited the sourcing of animals from any USDA breeder with a direct or indirect violation of the Animal Welfare Act in the past three years. As an aside, Connecticut pet stores already do not source animals from those who have direct violations of care and condition standards.
TASKFORCE TO STUDY EMERGENCY TREATMENT AND TRANSPORT FOR INJURED POLICE K-9S: HB 6964, as amended, would have created a taskforce to study what provisions and under what circumstances emergency medical services personnel should be allowed to provide emergency treatment and transportation to an injured police K-9. AKC issued this alert and submitted testimony in support. The bill was reported favorably by committee and placed on the House calendar. No further action was taken.
For more information, contact AKC GR at 919-816-3720 or doglaw@akc.org.