BILL NUMBER: AB 241AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN SENATE JUNE 16, 2009 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 13, 2009 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Nava ( Coauthors: Senators DeSaulnier, Florez, and Strickland ) FEBRUARY 10, 2009 An act to add Section 597.8 to the Penal Code, relating to animals. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 241, as amended, Nava. Dogs and cats: breeding for sale. Existing law proscribes specified acts against animals and imposes criminal penalties for a violation. This bill would make it a misdemeanor for any person to have more than a combined total of 50 unsterilized dogs and cats for breeding or raising them for sale as pets, as specified. The bill would authorize certain officers to lawfully take possession of an animal kept in violation of that provision, as specified. Because this bill would create a new crime, it would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: yes. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the Responsible Breeder Act of 2009. SEC. 2. Section 597.8 is added to the Penal Code, to read: 597.8. (a) No person shall own, possess, control, or otherwise have charge or custody of more than a combined total of 50 unsterilized dogs and cats at any time used for the purpose of breeding or raising dogs or cats for sale as pets, or for the purpose of producing offspring from dogs or cats for sale as pets. Any person that must reduce the number of unsterilized dogs or cats in order to comply with this section shall spay or neuter the excess animals or sell, transfer, or relinquish the excess animals within 30 days following notification by authorities specified in subdivision (b). If necessary, any euthanasia procedures shall be performed by a California licensed veterinarian or a person qualified to perform euthanasia procedures pursuant to regulations adopted by the Veterinary Medical Board for employees of an animal control shelter or humane society and its agencies who are not veterinarians or registered veterinary technicians . (b) A peace officer, humane officer, or animal control officer may lawfully take possession of an animal kept in violation of this section when necessary to protect the health or safety of the animal or the health or safety of others. An officer that seizes an animal under this subdivision shall comply with paragraphs (1) to (4), inclusive, of subdivision (f) of Section 597.1.(d)(c) A person who violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor.(e)(d) This section does not apply to any of the following:(1) A publicly operated animal control facility or duly incorporated private animal shelter.(1) A public animal control agency or shelter, society for the prevention of cruelty to animals shelter, humane society shelter, or rescue group. Except as specified in subdivision (f), these entities are the same as the entities regulated under Division 14 (commencing with Section 30501) of the Food and Agriculture Code. (2) A veterinary facility. (3) A research facility, as defined in Section 2132(e) of Title 7 of the United States Code. (e) For purposes of this section, "rescue group" is a not-for-profit entity whose primary purpose is the placement of dogs, cats, or other animals that have been removed from a public animal control agency or shelter, society for the prevention of cruelty to animals shelter, or humane society shelter, or that have been surrendered or relinquished to the entity by the previous owner. SEC. 3. No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution.