CalAnimals recognizes that playing an active role in Sacramento is a vital part of ensuring the welfare of California's animals and the communities we serve. Since 2009, we have retained a professional legislative advocate who works on behalf of our members to ensure that we have a voice in legislation affecting animal shelters as well as our state's animals, whether stray, homeless, or abused animals.
In addition to sponsoring legislation creating substantive protections for animals, such as bills that banned the roadside sales of animals, established minimum standards for pet boarding facilities, placed restrictions on the ability of flea markets to allow sales of animals, and established a voluntary tax checkoff to benefit homeless and abused animals, CalAnimals actively supports sensible animal-related legislation. In addition, CalAnimals works with sponsors and legislators to improve animal-related bills and actively opposes bills that are not in the best interests of California's animals and the communities we serve.
2019 Legislation
Updated (12/30/19)
AB - 1125 Animal Control Officer Standards Act
New Law Effective 1/1/20
Creates voluntary standards for the certification of Animal Control Officers. Requires CalAnimals to develop and maintain standards for a program to certify animal control officers. This includes completing at least 20 hours of a course in animal care and at least 40 hours of a course in state laws relating to the powers and duties of ACOs. Fees will be established by CalAnimals to manage these responsibilities.
AB – 1553 Animal Impoundment
New Law Effective 1/1/20
This law cleans up language in existing code with more current, appropriate terms.“Pound” is now changed to “animal shelter,” “poundkeeper” to “shelter director,” “pound officer” to “animal control officer,” “destroyed” to “euthanized,” and any reference to him/her has been removed.
SB – 787 Committee on Agriculture: Animal Welfare
New Law Effective 1/1/20
This law replaces the terms “pound” and “poundmaster” with “animal shelter” and “sheltermaster or shelter director,” respectively. References to the State Humane Association of California and the California Animal Control Directors Association are replaced with the California Animal Welfare Association to reflect the merger of the two entities.
AB – 611 Sexual Abuse of Animals
New Law Effective 1/1/20
This law closes loophole to make any sexual act with an animal a crime. The law authorizes seizure of animal victims and add sexual abuse to the list of offenses that would prohibit the person from owning, caring for, etc. animals for a specified period of time after conviction.
AB - 1565 Stray Cats: Adoption: Kittens
New Law Effective 1/1/20
This law authorizes a kitten under 8 weeks of age that is reasonably believed to unowned to be available immediately for adoption beginning on the day on which the kitten is seized, taken up, or impounded through the entire holding period. Please note: “(B) Nothing in this paragraph supersedes or otherwise limits the requirements in Section 31751.3 or Sections 31760 to 31762, inclusive, to ensure that a kitten sold, given away, or transferred to a new owner is or will be spayed or neutered."
SB – 637 Prevention of Animal Homelessness and Cruelty Voluntary Tax Contribution Fund
New Law Effective 1/1/20
This law permits humane societies and SPCAs providing animal control services for a local public agency to receive funds from the program and also requires that the department report on its website the process for awarding money and itemization of how funds were awarded.