This has been a particularly challenging session and anti-cruelty legislation has been slow to non-existent to move. As of June 22, bills are starting to move, but we have yet to move an impactful, priority bill. You can help by letting your state legislators know that you would like them to sign onto and SUPPORT ALL anti-cruelty bills and OPPOSE the ones that will hurt animals.
Each bill will have a brief description and status. For more in-depth information about the bill, check the linked fact sheet or linked co-sponsorship memo. It is important to contact your state legislators requesting their support of anti-cruelty legislation in Pennsylvania again and again, especially when bills are moving. Please also share this link with them so they can bookmark it as a handy reference. Sign up to be alerted when action is needed: http://bit.ly/signupHPA
Animal Protection Caucus:
Pennsylvania has a new 2021/22 Animal Protection Caucus! Chaired by Representative Melissa Shusterman; Representative Todd Stephens; Representative Frank Farry ; Representative Ryan Bizzarro; Senator Katie Muth and Senator Kristen Phillips-Hill, the Animal Protection Caucus is a bipartisan collaboration of Representatives and Senators determined to lead and support animal welfare legislation in Pennsylvania. Ask your legislators to join!
Senate Bills to support:
SB 232: Dog Law Fund/License increase. Introduced by Senator Judy Schwank. Co-sponsorship Memo
SB 234: Victoria’s Law, Prohibiting the sale of dogs, cats and rabbits in pet stores unless sourced from shelters and rescues and require advertisers to include license numbers. Introduced by Senator Kristen Phillips Hill and Senator Lisa Boscola Co-Sponsorship Memo Fact Sheet.
SB 438: The Animal Welfare Cooperation Act – permitting the assistance of the Attorney General in prosecuting large scale animal cruelty cases in counties which have had little experience in doing so. Introduced by Senators Katie Muth and John Kane Co-Sponsorship Memo.
SB 476: Lost and Found Dog Registry. Introduced by Senator Michele Brooks. Co-Sponsorship Memo.
SB 702: End Live Pigeon Shoots: Prohibits the use of live pigeons for target trap shoots and block shoots. Introduced by Senator Pat Browne. Co-Sponsorship Memo. Fact sheet
House Bills to support:
HB142: Taking the Judiciary Out of the Dog Law Fund – keeping Dog Law funds in Dog Law. Introduced by Representative Jason Ortitay Co-sponsorship Memo. Blog: Fines Should be Dedicated to Dogs- Not Judicial Computers: Passed PA House.
HB 201: Exotic Wildlife Ownership: Introduced by Representative Melissa Shusterman. Co-Sponsorship Memo.
HB327: Animal Kidnapping. Introduced by Representative Brandon Markosek. Co-sponsorship Memo
HB 337: Extreme Weather Protection for Dogs: Introduced by Representative Joseph C. Hohenstein.
HB 459: Animal Cruelty – Restrictions on Ownership Introduced by Representative Jeanne McNeill. Co-Sponsorship Memo.
HB 506: Animal Abuse – Ear Cropping – increasing the penalty for illegal ear-cropping. Introduced by MaryLouise Isaacson. Co-sponsorship Memo.
HB 526: Protecting Pennsylvanians and their Dogs – Dog Law Fund/License increase. Introduced by Representative Eddie Day Pashinski. Co-Sponsorship Memo.
HB 674: Credit for Taxpayers Who Adopt a Shelter Animal. Introduced by Representative Malagari. Co-Sponsorship Memo.
HB 687: The Animal Welfare Cooperation Act – permitting the assistance of the Attorney General in prosecuting large scale animal cruelty cases in counties which have had little experience in doing so. Introduced by Representative MaryLouise Isaacson. Co-Sponsorship Memo.
HB 1031: Animal Abuse in Domestic Violence. This bill give judges the ability to protect the victim’s pets in domestic violence situations. Introduced by Representative Christina D. Sappey and Representative Natalie Mihalek. Co-Sponsorship Memo.
HB 1299: Victoria’s Law, Prohibiting the sale of dogs, cats and rabbits in pet stores unless sourced from shelters and rescues and require advertisers to include license numbers. Introduced by Representative Tracy Pennycuick and Representative Jeannie McNeill. Co-Sponsorship Memo.
HB 1449: Extending the hold time of seized, unlicensed dogs. Introduced by Representative Curtis Sonney. Co-Sponsorship Memo.
HB 1624: Banning the Declawing of Cats. Introduced by Representative Liz Hanbidge and Representative Steven R. Malagari. Co-Sponsorship Memo.
HB 1812: Banning Traveling Animal Acts in Pennsylvania: This legislation will prevent the transport of elephants, big cats, bears, primates, kangaroos, giraffes, hippos, rhinos, zebras, tapirs, seals, sea lions and sharks for public performances. Introduced by Representative Melissa Shusterman. Co-Sponsorship Memo.
HB 2157: Modifying the Fireworks Law. Introduced by Representative Frank Farry. Co-Sponsorship Memo. (Note:this bill is currently undergoing ammendments)
HB 2311: Predatory Financing of Dogs and Cats: This legislation will stop predatory lending by pet stores with financing at huge interest rates. Introduced by Representative Pennycuick. Co-Sponsorship Memo.
HB 2328: Providing Access to Funding to Help Eradicate Animal Fighting in PA (allows law enforcement agencies access to funding to combat animal fighting in their community). Introduced by Representative Jason Ortitay and Rep. Nick Pisciottano. Co-Sponsorship Memo.
HB 2614: Safeguarding Animals Through the Elimination of Mass Balloon Releases. Introduced by Representative Matthew Dowling. Co-Sponsorship Memo. Fact Sheet: End Balloon Releases.
HB 2947: Cracking Down on Unscrupulous Breeders and Animal Cruelty. Introduced by Representative Anita Astorino Kulik and Rep. Jason Ortitay. Co-Sponsorship Memo.
House Bills to Oppose:
HB 769: Legalizing ownership of Exotic Pocket Pets. Introduced by Representative Zimmerman. Co-Sponsorship Memo. CDC Warning: Outbreak of Salmonella Infections Linked to Pet Hedgehogs.
You may be the decisive factor in the way your legislator votes, so please contact your state legislators to ask them to support these bills! Legislators often want to know what Humane PA’s position is on bills, so you can also send them this link to bookmark for an easy reference tool for them.
Senate Bills to Oppose:
SB 607: Repealing Sunday Hunting Prohibition. This bill is designed to increase hunting and trapping by removing the current, long-standing prohibition on Sunday hunting. Introduced by Sen. Dan Laughlin. Co-Sponsorship Memo.
SB 907: Create a “Domestic Animal Welfare Board. ” This board will review existing laws and regulations in related to keeping and handling of animals and make recommendations for legislative and regulatory changes. In reality, the proposed board is unbalanced with industry interest representatives that oppose many of the bills listed above. Co-Sponsorship Memo.
Bills currently under analysis:
SB 1289: Dog Law Modernization Legislation introduced by Senator Elder A. Vogel, Jr. Co-Sponsorship Memo.
Check out How a Bill Becomes Law in Pennsylvania!
For information on the outcome of bills affecting animals in previous sessions check our Archive section.
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