Bill Text: CT SB00349 | 2018 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: An Act Concerning Regional Animal Shelters.
Spectrum: Committee Bill
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2018-05-05 - House Calendar Number 509 [SB00349 Detail]
Download: Connecticut-2018-SB00349-Introduced.html
General Assembly |
Raised Bill No. 349 | ||
February Session, 2018 |
LCO No. 1609 | ||
*01609_______ENV* | |||
Referred to Committee on ENVIRONMENT |
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Introduced by: |
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(ENV) |
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AN ACT CONCERNING REGIONAL ANIMAL SHELTERS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 22-331a of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2018):
Any two or more contiguous towns each of which has a population of less than twenty-five thousand, and which have or will provide a dog pound facility within their region, by action of their legislative bodies, may agree to be served by a regional animal control officer. Upon certification of such agreement to the commissioner with assurances from the towns so certifying that they will provide and continue to provide adequate facilities and compensation for such officer, the commissioner may, after giving due regard to the regional aspects of the proposed facilities and whether the proposed region would be in the best interests of the towns so certifying, establish such region. Each person so appointed shall have the same powers and duties within the region to which he is assigned as a municipal animal control officer in each town therein. All costs of maintaining and operating such pounds and administering and enforcing the laws relating to dogs within such regions shall be paid in accordance with the provisions of the agreement certified to the commissioner under this section except as provided in section 22-380g, as amended by this act.
Sec. 2. Section 22-380g of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2018):
(a) The Commissioner of Agriculture shall (1) establish an animal population control program to provide for spaying and neutering services to eligible owners of dogs and cats, (2) establish an account to be known as the "animal population control account" that may contain any moneys required by law to be deposited in the account and any balance remaining in said account at the end of any fiscal year shall be carried forward in said account for the fiscal year next succeeding, (3) create a standard dog licensing form and distribute said form to veterinarians or the operators of pet shops, pet grooming facilities, municipal pounds or dog training facilities who voluntarily agree to make such forms available for the convenience of dog owners, (4) establish a program to assist registered nonprofit rescue groups with the sterilization and vaccination of feral cats, and (5) establish a program to sterilize and vaccinate dogs and cats owned by a low-income person.
(b) Not more than ten per cent of the funds deposited in the animal population control account in accordance with subsection (f) of section 14-21h, subsection (a) of section 22-338, section 22-380f and section 22-380l shall be used for the sterilization and vaccination of feral cats program in accordance with subdivision (4) of subsection (a) of this section.
(c) Not more than twenty per cent of the funds deposited in the animal population control account in accordance with subsection (f) of section 14-21h, subsection (a) of section 22-338, section 22-380f and section 22-380l shall be used for the sterilization and vaccination of dogs and cats owned by a low-income person pursuant to the program established under subdivision (5) of subsection (a) of this section.
(d) The commissioner may solicit and accept funds from any public or private source of help to carry out the goals of the programs established under subsection (a) of this section, including, but not limited to, the sterilization of feral cats as provided in section 22-339d. A donor may earmark funds for any or all of such programs.
(e) Any revenue collected pursuant to the provisions of sections 22-380f and 22-380l shall be deposited in the animal population control account. All money in the account shall be used by the commissioner exclusively for (1) the implementation and promotion of the animal population control program, (2) the costs associated with the administration of such program, provided not more than two hundred twenty-five thousand dollars may be expended for administrative costs per year, (3) twenty-five per cent of the costs of operating any regional facility, as described in section 22a-331, as amended by this act, and [(3)] (4) reimbursement of persons completing a training program pursuant to subsections (c) and (d) of section 22-328, for the costs of such program, provided moneys in the account may also be used to provide reimbursement to any municipality for the costs of providing temporary care to any animal pursuant to section 22-329a if such temporary care exceeded thirty days in duration and such costs exceeded the amount of any surety bond or cash bond posted pursuant to subsection (f) of section 22-329a, provided the total annual reimbursement to municipalities from said account for such purpose shall not exceed fifty thousand dollars.
(f) The commissioner may suspend any or all of the programs at any time that the amount of money available in the account is less than three hundred thousand dollars. The commissioner may reinstate any of the suspended programs when such amount exceeds three hundred thousand dollars.
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections: | ||
Section 1 |
October 1, 2018 |
22-331a |
Sec. 2 |
October 1, 2018 |
22-380g |
Statement of Purpose:
To provide funding for part of the cost of operating regional animal shelters.
[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.]