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Scroll down the page 2009

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Monthly Legislation Feb.

www.house.mn      www.senate.mn

MINNESOTA

SF0007 - A bill for an act relating to animals; providing standards of care for dog and cat breeders; authorizing rulemaking; providing criminal penalties; appropriating money; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 347.

SF0198 - A bill for an act relating to taxation; expanding definition of agricultural products for purposes of property taxation;amending Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 273.13, subdivision 23. 

SF0201 - A bill for an act relating to animals; providing for registration and standards of care for dog and cat breeders; imposing penalties;proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 347.

SF0309 - A bill for an act relating to dogs; requiring certain dog owners to take responsible dog owner classes and pass certain tests; requiring maintenance of a database; proposing  coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 347.

HF0115 - A bill for an act relating to dogs; requiring certain dog owners to take responsible dog owner classes and pass certain tests; requiring maintenance of a database; proposing  coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 347.

HF0137- A bill for an act relating to taxation; expanding definition of agricultural products for purposes of property taxation;amending Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 273.13, subdivision 23.

HF0253 - A bill for an act relating to animals; providing standards of care for dog and cat breeders; authorizing rulemaking; providing criminal penalties; appropriating money; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 347.

HF0297 - A bill for an act relating to dogs; creating a regional dog park permit and matching grant program in the Twin Cities metropolitan area

HF573 - A bill for an act relating to companion animals; creating a required permit for certain dog and cat breeders

HF630 - A bill for an act relating to animals; eliminating a restriction on assistance by counties and cities to certain societies for the prevention of cruelty to animals

Saint Paul - (1/28/09) - Because Minnesota has some of the largest pet-breeding facilities in the nation, animal rights advocates are pushing for state oversight. Unlike about half the states in the nation, there is none. One bill, presented by Sen. Don Betzold, DFL-Fridley, and supported by many animal rights advocates, requires annual inspections and certification by the Minnesota Board of Animal Health. One of the biggest bones to pick was its range: Breeders with six breeding females or more would be affected. Another bill, presented by Sen. Steve Dille, R-Dassel, carrying larger support from breeders, would require no mandatory inspections. Breeders would be required to register with a local agency every four years, and inspections would be complaint-based, unless a county decided otherwise. A third bill, similar to Betzold's, is anticipated in coming weeks. Drafted by Mike Fry, director of the Animal Ark no-kill shelter in Hastings, the bill would affect only breeders who own 40 dogs or more. Fry said he's met with dozens of smaller breeders and written something they would support. In the end, the Betzold bill was tabled; Dille never called for a vote.

West Saint Paul - proposed ordinance will reflects recent changes to state laws regarding animals and dangerous dogs, including more restrictive requirements for dangerous dog owners. Will require renters with potentially dangerous or dangerous dogs to notify the property owner that a dangerous dog will be living on the premises.

S.F. 500

Info on S.F. 500  type bill in upper left on link

2008 below..........

HF 2469 / SF 2292    Dog and Cat Breeders Act  providing standards of care for dog and cat breeders, authorizing rulemaking, and appropriating money.
 
 
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Text HF 2469 click here

Text SF 2292 click here

HF 2469 was moved to the Agriculture and Veterans affairs Committee
stay tuned to the revisors page.You can get
on an e-mail list for both the house and the senate committees who have this bill by clicking on the following links :   
 

House: Subscribe to the Agriculture, Rural Economies and Veterans Affairs electronic mailing list click here

Senate: Subscribe to the Agriculture Veterans Affairs electronic mailing list click here

HF 1152Animal shelters pet sales exempted from sales tax.

status HF 1152

find your senator click here

Read and Track bills in the House and Senate click here

2007  (below)....

New puppy/kitten mill bills were introduced by Representative Frank Hornstein (author of the previous bill) in the Minnesota House of Representatives and Senator Don Betzold in the Minnesota Senate.

H.F. 2469 and S.F. 2292 are slightly different from the previous breeder bills introduced earlier this year. The definition of “breeder” makes it clearer that it covers those people who are in the business of breeding puppies/kittens for sale, if they have 5 or more intact females for the purpose of breeding those females to sell the litters. A notable change is that the details of the standards of care will be left to the rulemaking process through the Board of Animal Health.

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H.F. 2469 and S.F. 2292 give state and local officials the ability to: (1) license and inspect dog and cat breeders in Minnesota, (2) make sure those breeders meet specific standards of care, and (3) take appropriate enforcement action to protect vulnerable dogs and cats from unscrupulous or negligent breeders.

Please contact your state senator and representative to let them know you do not support this bill. The most effective way is to meet with them in person - make an appointment to visit them at the Capitol. If you can't do that, talk with them (or their legislative assistant) via phone. Tell them why you do not support the bill and also request that they oppose it . <http://geo.commissions.leg.state.mn.us/districts/start.html> to find out and get contact information.                

Not sure who your legislators are? Click here

SF 121

SF 2292

HB 1046

HB 2469

USDA regulations

The Minnesota Responsible Animal Owners Alliance
Opposes Senate File 121 and House File 1046, The Dog and Cat Breeders Bill as the proposals in this legislation seriously infringe on the rights of responsible dog and cat owners to engage in ordinary activities associated with the ownership of animals including decisions about the health care, humane treatment, proper housing, breeding management, nutrition .
  • The terms of this legislation unnecessarily duplicate the provisions of the federal Animal Welfare Act and the licensing provisions of the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture). Minnesota state laws addressing animal cruelty are sufficient to address any problems of neglect, torture, or abuse of animals in any commercial breeding facility.
  • Data to support the need for duplicate state licensing of high volume
    breeders of dogs and cats has not been presented. Minnesota at present has 83 USDA licensed Class A Breeders and 43 licensed Class B Brokers. These licensees are already subject to inspection by the APHIS agents. In addition, the American Kennel Club conducts inspections of high volume breeders and works with local authorities when problem situations are observed.
  • The definitions of breeders and number limitations in this legislation would force the licensing and inspection of thousands of Minnesota sportsmen, dog trainers, hobby breeders, mushers, hunting dog kennels, and others who's involvement with these sport dogs can not in any way be defined as High volume' breeding kennels. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture is not presently staffed adequately to handle such a massive licensing and inspection program.
  • The provision for the appointment of local animal control or humane agencies to provide enforcement would give powers to seize and destroy animals belonging to citizens without due process of law. Many local communities hire private contractors for animal control functions and there is no provision for training, licensing or supervision of private contractors.

    In Summary: This is flawed legislation that would infringe on the rights of responsible dog and cat owners and burden our state Department of Agriculture with unnecessary and unenforceable regulations and restrictions when there are already adequate statutes to prevent cruelty to animals in any situation.

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