Legislative Alerts

The California State Legislature has voted to suspend its 2020 session from March 20 until April 13 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Because the situation remains fluid, those dates may change. As such, California Senate Bill 1041, legislation that bans hunting deer with dogs, was originally scheduled to be heard in the Senate Committee on […]

In addition to emergency measures to address the COVID-19 virus, the City Council of Palm Springs has stated they will continue with their full scheduled agenda at their meeting on Thursday, March 19.  This includes a second reading on a proposal enacting breeder restrictions in the city. At their February meeting, the council gave initial […]

In response to the latest coronavirus news, AKC Government Relations (AKC GR) has learned that Legislative Leaders in New England have taken various steps to mitigate the outbreak.  Please refer to the summary for each state below and know that we will keep you informed of changes as they develop. Connecticut: After initially re-scheduling public […]

The COVID-19 outbreak and preventative public health measures are impacting legislative schedules and hearings in a number of states. In some states such as New Jersey and Hawaii, in-person visits are being discouraged. Other states are currently considering various options which may include virtual hearings or other methods to continue business while limiting large gatherings.  […]

The Maryland Legislature has announced that it will go into an extended recess (and possible adjournment) on Wednesday in response to public health concerns. As a result, the House and Senate are expediting their work, and moving numerous bills very quickly, including the following: Senate Bill 625 – As introduced, this bill sought to regulate […]

UPDATE: HEARING CANCELED ----------------------------------------------------- On Tuesday, March 17, the Minnesota House Judiciary Finance and Civil Law Division will be considering House File 3369, which seeks to prohibit the sale of dogs and cats by retail pet shops, is scheduled to be considered by the Minnesota House Committee on Commerce on Tuesday, March 3, 2020.  The […]

The California Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Water is scheduled to consider a bill on Tuesday, March 24, that ostensibly bans the use of dogs for deer hunting.  This is a follow-up to a bill passed in 2019 that banned bobcat hunting in the state. Supporters of Senate Bill 1041 characterize hunting with dogs […]

Connecticut General Assembly Joint Committees have re-scheduled public hearings for March 16 and 17, 2020, on bills impacting dogs.  Due to continued cancellations of public events in the Legislative Office Building, the American Kennel Club (AKC) is encouraging all dog owners to submit comments via email to the respective committees. Allowing Towns to Regulate Pet […]

The American Kennel Club is concerned with Hawaii Senate Bill 2512.  The bill, which is scheduled to be considered by the House Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce on Wednesday, March 11, 2020, at 2:00pm in House Conference Room 329, seeks to limit the practices of surgical births, debarking, tail docking, and ear cropping by […]

Last night, the Evanston City Council voted to delay action on a measure that would significantly restrict the sale of dogs in the city. As stated in the previous alert, sales would be banned in the city unless the animals are from a shelter, a rescue, or a breeder that BOTH has a USDA license […]