2013 Legislation
Mar 10, 2013
FEDERAL: Big Cats and Public Safety Protection Act (HR 1998/S 1381).
Status HR 1998: Referred to Natural Resources 5/15. Referred to Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans, and Insular Affairs 5/21.
Status S 1381: Referred to Environment and Public Works on 7/29/2013.
FEDERAL: Captive Primate Safety Act (HR 2856/S 1463). Bans public contact with prohibited wildlife species.
Status HR 2856: Referred to Natural Resources 7/30/2013. Referred to Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans and Insular Affairs 8/6/2013.
Status S 1463: Referred to Environment and Public Works 8/1/2013.
FEDERAL: Invasive Fish and Wildlife Prevention Act (HR 996/S 1153).
Status HR 996: Referred to committees on Natural Resources, Judiciary, Ways and Means, and Budget on 3/6. Referred to Natural Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans and Insular Affairs 3/11. Referred to Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security and Investigations on 4/8.
S 1153: Referred to Committee on Environment and Public Works 6/12/2013.
FEDERAL: Multinational Species Conservation Funds Reauthorization Act of 2013 (HR 39). Extends the Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Act to 2018.
Status: Referred to House Committee on Natural Resources 1/3/2013. Referred to Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans and Insular Affairs 1/31/2013.
FEDERAL: Agency Rule – Petition to amend animal welfare act regulations to prohibit public contact with big cats, bears, and nonhuman primates (APHIS 2012-0107-0001).
Status: Introduced 8/5/2013. Comments due 10/4/2013. Comment deadline extended to 11/18/2013.
COLORADO: Agency Rule – Chapter W-11 – Wildlife Parks and Unregulated Wildlife. Allows grandfathered wildlife sanctuaries to relocate within CO without being AZA.
Status: Adopted on 7/11/2013
CONNECTICUT: An act concerning certain amendments to Connecticut exotic pets statute (HB 5832). Adds certain reptiles; adds that selling, transfering, and breeding is also banned in addition to possession; modifies exemptions for education and zoo
Status: DEAD
CONNECTICUT: An act concerning enforcement of environmental conservation laws (HB 1018). Exempts domestic hybrids certified by TICA, CFA, or ACFA.
Status: Signed into law 6/5.
GEORGIA: Wild animals; certain hybrid offspring of Asian leopard cats and domestic cats at least four generations from Asian leopard cat shall not be a wild animal for which permit is required; provide (HB 462). Exempts F4 and later bengal cats from the ban.
Status: DEAD
INDIANA: Agency Rule – Wild Animal Possession Permits. Adds several of the small cats to Class II and makes various revisions to the permit requirements.
Status: Hearing 11/12/2013. Final adoption expected 1/21/2014.
INDIANA: Wild Animal Permits (SB 477). Removes commercial dealer exemption and revises it so department can require 1 permit per person instead of per animal.
Status: DEAD
INDIANA: Regulation of Animals (SB 600). Allows counties, cities and towns to regulate the ownership, possession and harboring of animals.
Status: DEAD
IOWA: Wild animal care in commercial establishments (HF 254/SF 236). Bans dangerous wild animals at zoos other than AZA. Zoo defined as a “park, building, cage, enclosure, or other structure or premise in which a dangerous wild animal is kept for public exhibition or viewing� whether for compensation or not.
Status HF 254: FAILED in 2013
SF 236: FAILED in 2013
IOWA: An act providing for the possession of cats classified as bengals (SSB 1115 – SF 247). Study bill to legalize Bengal cats and savannahs.
Status: Signed into law 5/15.
IOWA: Agency Rule – Exemption to definition of dangerous wild animal (ARC 0786C). Agency rule to comply with legalization of Bengal cats and savannahs.
Status: Adopted – Effective 9/25/2013.
MICHIGAN: Exemption from large carnivore act for certain businesses; expand to exempt businesses that allow patrons to come into contact with bears less than 36 weeks of age or bears that weigh 90 pounds or less and make other general revisions (SB 48).
Status: Signed into law 3/26/2013.
MICHIGAN: Animals; Other; facilities accredited by the American zoo and aquarium association or the zoological association of America; exempt from certain provisions of large carnivore act (SB 538). Same as substitute introduced in a prior bill that limits USDA to AZA, ZAA, or ASA.
Status: FAILED in 2013.
MINNESOTA: Dog and cat breeders standards of care (HF 84/SF 36). Pertains to domestic cats and hybrids.
Status: FAILED IN 2013
MISSOURI: Modifies provisions relating to the Large Carnivore Act and creates the Nonhuman Primate Act (HB 284/SB 149).
Status HB284: DEAD
Status SB149: DEAD
MISSOURI: Changes the laws regarding the criminal code (HB 210). Modifies language regarding county registration of dangerous wild animals and changes penalty for release of large carnivore from Class D to Class E felony.
Status: DEAD
MISSOURI: Changes the laws regarding the criminal code (SB 253). Modifies language regarding county registration of dangerous wild animals and changes penalty for release of large carnivore from Class D to Class E felony.
Status: DEAD
NEBRASKA: Change and provide criminal sanctions regarding animals and animal facilities (LB 204). Protects animal facilities from employees that join with intent to damage or disrupt a facility
Status: FAILED IN 2013
NEVADA: Enacts provisions relating to the importation, possession, sale, transfer and breeding of dangerous wild animals (SB 245). Bans Dangerous wild animals
Status: DEAD
NEW JERSEY: Requires liability insurance for permit to possess certain dangerous animals (A 3338/S 2233). Requires $250,000 insurance for potentially dangerous animals.
Status: Continued into 2013.
NEW JERSEY: (ACR 163/SCR 127). Exotic animal task force
Status: Continued into 2013.
NEW JERSEY: Imposes civil penalty for the exhibition or use in performance of a living bear, elephant, lion or tiger (AB 4088).
Status: Referred to Agriculture and Natural Resources 5/6/2013.
NEW YORK: Haleys Act (S 509).
Status: Referred to Environmental Conservation 1/9/2013.
NEW YORK: Recodifies the animal cruelty laws from the Agriculture and Markets law to the penal law and reclassifies certain penalties within; repealer (A 893). Includes the attack by wild animal law
Status: Referred to Codes 1/9/2013.
NEW YORK: Recodifies the animal cruelty laws from the Agriculture and Markets law to the penal law (A 1659).
Status: Referred to Codes 1/9/2013.
NEW YORK: Prohibits the ownership, possession or harboring of a wild animal or reptile (A 2869). Creates a class E felony to own, possess or harbor a wild animal or reptile.
Status: Referred to Agriculture 1/18/2013.
NEW YORK: Restricts the use of exotic and wild animals in traveling circuses and shows (A 5407). Prohibits using animals in acts if they traveled 30 days prior.
Status: Referred to Agriculture 2/25/2013.
NORTH CAROLINA: Captivity license and permit amendments (H 66). Adds that such license is for scientific, educational or exhibit purposes.
Status: Signed into law 3/6/2013.
NORTH DAKOTA: Animal importation, care, treatment and seizure (SB 2211). Allows department to restrict import or sale of animal wild by nature, among other things.
Status: Signed into law 4/29.
OKLAHOMA: Exotic cats; creating Oklahoma Responsible Exotic Cat Ownership Act (SB 178). FCF member bill
Status: FAILED in 2013
OKLAHOMA: Animals; prohibiting allowing certain animals to run at large; allowing seizure; providing penalty (SB 402). Regarding any felidae running large and attacking livestock
Status: Signed into law 5/14.
PENNSYLVANIA: Banning personal ownership of exotic animals as pets in PA(HB 575). Bans all nonindigenous species with very limited exceptions.
Status: Referred to Game and Fisheries 2/8/2013.
PENNSYLVANIA: Banning future possession of certain exotic wildlife – redefinition of exotic wildlife and exotic wildlife dealer (SB 521). Bans exotic wildlife possession permits.
Status: Referred to Game and Fisheries 2/20/2013. Hearing on 3/12. Passed Game and Fisheries on 3/12 with amendment to add 1st degree misdemeanor for 2nd conviction in 7 year period. 1st consideration in House on 3/12. Referred to Appropriations 4/8.
SOUTH CAROLINA: Dangerous wild animals act (H 3985). Bans a specific list of animals, including cheetah, clouded leopard, jaguar, leopard, lion, mountain lion, snow leopard, tiger and hybrids, with exemptions.
Status: FAILED in 2013
SOUTH DAKOTA: Repeal and revise certain statutes of the Animal Industry Board (HB 1058). Repeals certain nondomestic animal laws.
Status: Signed into law 3/12.
TENNESSEE: Requires that injury inflicted by any species of captive wildlife requiring medical treatment be reported to TWRA within 36 hours instead of within 48 hours (HB 900/SB 939).
Status: HB 900- FAILED in 2013
SB 939 – FAILED in 2013
TEXAS: Agency Rule – Care of animals by circuses, carnivals, and zoos (25 TAC 169.41-169.48).
Status:Adopted effective 12/8/2013.
TEXAS: Relating to the regulation of dangerous wild animals (HB 629/SB 1395/SB 1736). Modifies varies exemptions.
Status HB 629: DEAD
SB 1395: DEAD
SB 1736: DEAD
TEXAS: Relating to the regulation of big cats and nonhuman primates; providing penalties (HB 1015). Bans cheetah, cougar, leopard, lion, jaguar tiger and their hybrids and all NHP in cities/counties with population of 75,000 and over
Status: DEAD
TEXAS: Relating to the regulation of big cats and nonhuman primates; providing penalties (SB 1627). Bans cheetah, cougar, leopard, lion, jaguar, tiger and their hybrids and certain primates in counties with population of 75,000 and over
Status: DEAD
UTAH: Agency Rule – Admission and Inspection of Livestock, Poultry and Other Animals (R58-1). Amends the importation laws for all animals.
Status: Adopted – Effective 8/21/2013.
VIRGINIA: Wildlife exhibitor permit (SB 1277). Allows department to create rules regarding the possession and display of wildlife by elementary and secondary education teachers and exempts from wildlife exhibitor permit.
Status: Signed into law 2/18/2013.
VIRGINIA: Agency Rule – Definitions and Miscellaneous: Importation, Possession, Sale, Etc., of animals. Possession, transportation and release of wildlife by authorized persons (4 VAC 15-30).
Status: Adopted at June 13 meeting.
VIRGINIA: Agency Rule – Game: Permits. Holding wild animals for exhibition purposes (4 VAC 15-290-30).
Status: Adopted at June 13 meeting.
WEST VIRGINIA: Relating to the control of potentially dangerous wild animals (HB 2209). Bans owning, possessing, keeping, importing, breeding or having custody or control of a lion, tiger, cougar, jaguar, cheetah, leopard, snow leopard, clouded leopard and hybrids on 1/1/2014 with exceptions.
Status: DEAD
WEST VIRGINIA: Creating the Dangerous Wild Animals Act (SB 466). Bans any dangerous wild animal (no specific species list)
Status: DEAD
WISCONSIN: Agency Rule – An order to… relating to animal disease control and animal movement, and animal markets, dealers and truckers, and affecting small business (CR 13-058).
Status: Filed 8/15/2013. Public hearing 11/13/2013.
WYOMING: Agency Rules � Chapter 10 Live Wildlife, Chapter 25 Falconry, Chapter 33 Scientific Permits, Chapter 37 Raptor Propagation, and Chapter 45 Rehabilitation
Status: Filed 11/15/2013. Public hearings November 26 � December 17, 2013. Comments due December 30, 2013.