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September 30 was the last day for Governor Gavin Newsom to sign or veto bills passed by the Legislature over the two-year session. From the American Kennel Club’s (AKC) perspective, California’s legislative session concluded quietly. The session began with bills that could have seen the definition of a “dog breeder” expanded to include many hobbyists, new requirements for dog “brokers”, new standards on the use of police canines, new rights for renters with pets attempting to access housing, and regulatory changes to how animal shelters operate. All these bills failed to become law.

In addition to individual reasons why each bill failed to advance, one large impediment to any proposal advancing this year was California’s large budget deficit with the accompanying threat of a governor’s veto. For your reference, below are a few of the significant bills AKC tracked, but failed to become law. Additionally, a few bills that became law—but are farther from AKC’s traditional advocacy areas—are also listed. The AKC thanks all who participated this legislative session and had their voices heard in protecting the interests of responsible dog owners. The AKC also thanks legislators and their staffs for their engagement with AKC throughout the legislative session.

Over the coming weeks and months, AKC will begin to turn our attention to what California’s 2025 legislative session might look like. Some early possibilities for bills to be on the lookout for are ones that concern dog brokers and breeders, new regulations on animal shelters, and measures to expand housing and insurance coverage to people with pets.

AKC will continue to monitor the California Legislature for any new developments or changes to bills that could impact you.

You can see the complete list of bills by checking the AKC legislative tracker.

Bills monitored by AKC that did NOT become law:

  • Assembly Bill 2425 – Bowie’s Law: animals: adoption, shelter overcrowding, and breeding.

Summary: This bill, opposed by AKC, would have put new requirements on animal shelters and changed the definition of a dog breeder in California from someone who breeds three litters or transfers 20 dogs to someone who transfers two litters or 10 dogs.

 

  • Assembly Bill 2042 – Law enforcement: police canines.

Summary: This bill is an amended version of AB 742 from 2023 and would have directed the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) to develop guidelines for the use of canines by law enforcement, including guidelines concerning canine deployment and a prohibition on using canines for crowd control. Additionally, each law enforcement agency with a canine unit would have needed to have a police canine policy compliant with POST guidelines by July 1, 2027.

 

  • Assembly Bill 3241 – Law enforcement: police canines.

Summary: This bill would have required the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST), on or before July 1, 2026, to study and issue recommendations to the Legislature on the use of canines by law enforcement. The bill would also have required each law enforcement agency with a canine unit to annually publish a report of the use of canines on its website.

 

  • Assembly Bill 2248 – Contracts: sales of dogs and cats.

Summary: This bill stated that a contract to transfer ownership of a dog or cat from a “broker” to a buyer in California is void if any of the following are satisfied:

 

  1. The contract requires a nonrefundable deposit, OR
  2. The contract does not identify the original source of the dog or cat, including, but not limited to, the breeder.

 

  • Assembly Bill 2216 – Tenancy: common household pets

Summary: This bill looked to expand access to people with pets being able to access rental housing and ban “pet rent.”

 

  • Senate Bill 89 – Crimes: stalking

Summary: This AKC supported bill sought to expand what constitutes stalking to include behavior that seeks to harm or threaten a domestic violence victim’s pet, service animals, or emotional support animals. This bill would have brought California in line with the federal stalking statute.

 

  • Assembly Bill 2265 – Animals: euthanasia

Summary: This bill would have limited the ability for animal shelters to perform euthanasia in certain circumstances.

 

  • Assembly Bill 2012 – Rabies control data.

Summary: This bill would have required animal shelters in cities and counties to report various rabies control program data to the state. It would have restored the protocol that lapsed during the Brown administration and will provide a uniform and objective set of data when evaluating the conditions of animal shelters.

 

  • Senate Bill 1459 – Animals shelters

Summary: This bill would have required animal shelters to collect and publish certain statistics on their website, including sources of animal intake.

AKC monitored bills that DID become law:

  • Assembly Bill 1988 – Stray animals: Availability for adoption or release.

Summary: The bill authorizes a puppy or kitten relinquished to a public or private shelter by the purported owner, or brought in by any other person with authority to relinquish it, to also be made immediately available for release to a nonprofit organization, animal rescue organization, or adoption organization if requested by the organization.

 

  • Senate Bill 1217 – Pet insurance.

Summary: This bill requires an insurer to disclose if it reduces coverage or increases premiums based on the age of the covered pet or a change in the geographic location of the insured, as well as if it requires a medical examination to effectuate coverage or imposes a waiting period. The bill authorizes the issuance of a pet insurance policy that excludes preexisting conditions or imposes a waiting period, if specified criteria are met. This bill also prohibits the marketing of a wellness program as pet insurance.

 

  • Senate Bill 1233 – Postsecondary education: veterinary medicine: spay and neuter techniques.

Summary: This bill authorizes a California veterinary medical school to develop a high-quality, high-volume spay and neuter certification program to be offered as elective coursework to enrolled students. The bill requires the certification program to make available to the public low- or no-cost ovariectomies, ovariohysterectomies, or gonadectomies for cats and dogs that are performed by program participants. Finally, this bill requires a California veterinary medical school offering the above-described certification program to triennially publish a public progress report on certification program activities

AKC Government Relations continues to monitor bills in California impacting dog owners and will provide updates.  For questions or more information, contact AKC GR at doglaw@akc.org.