General Assembly Committee Bill No. 5836
January Session, 2013 LCO No. 3569
*03569HB05836ENV*
Referred to Committee on ENVIRONMENT
Introduced by:
(ENV)
General Assembly
Committee Bill No. 5836
January Session, 2013
LCO No. 3569
*03569HB05836ENV*
Referred to Committee on ENVIRONMENT
Introduced by:
(ENV)
AN ACT CONCERNING THE AVAILABILITY OF FUNDING FOR THE VACCINATION, STERILIZATION AND HEART WORM TESTING OF DOGS AND CATS OWNED BY LOW INCOME PERSONS OR ADOPTED FROM MUNICIPAL OR REGIONAL SHELTERS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 22-380g of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2013):
(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 animal control officers and 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, and (6) establish a program to assist animal control officers and registered nonprofit rescue groups with the sterilization and vaccination of 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 [ten] 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] programs established under [subdivision] subdivisions (5) and (6) of subsection (a) of this section. Such funds may be distributed directly to animal control officers and registered nonprofit providers of such sterilization and vaccination services for dogs and cats owned by a low-income person.
(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, and (3) reimbursement of persons completing a training program pursuant to subsections (c) and (d) of section 22-328, for the costs of such program.
(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.
Sec. 2. Section 22-380i of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2013):
(a) The program established under section 22-380g, as amended by this act, shall provide for payment to any participating veterinarian of an amount equivalent to the voucher issued pursuant to section 22-380f for each animal sterilization and vaccinations, coincident with sterilization, performed by such veterinarian upon a dog or cat owned by an eligible owner. For a sterilization procedure, such voucher shall be in the amount of one hundred twenty dollars for a female dog, one hundred dollars for a male dog, seventy dollars for a female cat and fifty dollars for a male cat unless such procedure is performed on a dog or cat owned by a low-income person, in which case such voucher shall be in the amount of one hundred dollars for a dog that weighs less than fifty pounds, one hundred forty dollars for a dog that weighs fifty or more pounds and seventy dollars for a cat. In the case of a sterilization fee exceeding the amount of the voucher, the eligible owner shall pay the participating veterinarian the difference between such fee and the amount of the voucher. Such voucher shall be in the amount of twenty dollars, in addition to the amount designated for sterilization, for vaccinations coincident with the sterilization of a dog or cat owned by an eligible owner.
(b) The program established under section 22-380g, as amended by this act, shall further provide for a payment to any participating veterinarian for the presurgical immunization of dogs against rabies, distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis and parvovirus, or the presurgical immunization of cats against rabies, feline panleukopenia, calici, pneumonitis and rhinotracheitis, as the case may be, on animals not previously immunized. The payment shall be for no more than ten dollars for each immunization procedure and, in any case, not more than twenty dollars for one animal. Such veterinarian shall be paid by the commissioner upon the submission of a voucher, to be provided by the commissioner and signed by the veterinarian performing such operation and by the owner, stating that the animal has been immunized coincident with a spaying or neutering operation under the program.
(c) The program established under section 22-380g, as amended by this act, shall further provide for a payment to any participating veterinarian for all necessary vaccinations, as determined by such participating veterinarian, that are administered by such performing veterinarian upon a dog or cat owned by an eligible owner unless such dog or cat: (1) Previously received such vaccinations, or (2) is determined to be medically unfit to receive such vaccinations, as determined by a veterinarian.
[(c)] (d) The participating veterinarian shall be paid by the commissioner for sterilization and coincident vaccinations of a dog or cat owned by an eligible owner upon submission of the voucher issued pursuant to section 22-380f and signed by such veterinarian.
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1 July 1, 2013 22-380g
Sec. 2 July 1, 2013 22-380i
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1
July 1, 2013
22-380g
Sec. 2
July 1, 2013
22-380i
Statement of Purpose:
To provide for a greater distribution of animal population control funds to programs that assist persons with low incomes to have the dog or cat they purchased from a municipal or state pound sterilized and vaccinated.
[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.]
Co-Sponsors: REP. URBAN, 43rd Dist.
Co-Sponsors:
REP. URBAN, 43rd Dist.
H.B. 5836