OFFICE OF FISCAL ANALYSIS
Legislative Office Building, Room 5200
Hartford, CT 06106 (860) 240-0200
http://www.cga.ct.gov/ofa
sHB-6504
AN ACT CONCERNING ANIMAL WELFARE.
Primary Analyst: MR 4/12/21
Contributing Analyst(s):
OFA Fiscal Note
State Impact:
Agency Affected Fund-Effect FY 22 $ FY 23 $
Department of Agriculture Animal
Population
Control -
Acceleration of
Costs
See Below See Below
Department of Agriculture GF - Potential
Revenue Gain
Less than
20,000
Less than
20,000
Note: GF=General Fund
Municipal Impact: None
Explanation
The bill makes various changes to animal-related laws.
Section 1 of the bill makes a minor change to the definition of
poultry within the dog and companion animal statutes which has no
fiscal impact.
Sections 2, 9, and 10 update terminology in the environment
statutes concerning guide dogs to conform with the federal American
with Disabilities Act. These sections also have no fiscal impact.
Sections 3, 4, and 7 alter current law regarding how seized animals
are humanely destroyed by licensed veterinarians and make other
minor, technical, and conforming changes. These sections have no
fiscal impact to the state or municipalities as they concern private
third-party veterinarians. 2021HB-06504-R000434-FN.DOCX Page 2 of 3
Section 5 of the bill allows a municipality’s chief elected official or a
regional animal control facility to appoint an Animal Control Officer
(ACO) from another municipality to act as the temporary ACO for the
municipality for up to 90 days. This is not anticipated to result in a
fiscal impact as it codifies current practice.
Additionally, Section 8 of the bill extends to animal shelter
operators the same requirement that animal importers currently have
(that dogs and cats be examined by a veterinarian within 48 hours of
the animals entering the state). Currently, violators are subject to a
fine of up to $500 for each animal in violation. The bill instead subjects
an animal importer or animal shelter operator to a $250 fine per animal
for a first violation and $500 fine per animal for subsequent violations.
This section also requires animal shelter operators or maintainers to
keep records of certain veterinary services for each dog or cat for three
years, as current law does for animal importers. The bill subjects an
animal importer or animal shelter operator or maintainer who violates
this provision to a $250 fine for a first violation and $500 fine for
subsequent violations. These provisions may result in a minimal
revenue gain, expected to be less than $20,000 annually, to the extent
violations occur.
Section 11 requires the Department of Agriculture (DoAg) to
develop a waiver request process and form for an animal’s owner or
veterinarian to request a reduction of a rabies quarantine period from
six months to four months for animals exposed to rabies. The bill
requires DoAg to post the process and form on their website. This is
not anticipated to result in a fiscal impact as the agency currently has
expertise for this purpose.
Sections 11 and 12 increase, from 10% to 20%, the maximum
amount of funds that may be expended from the animal population
control account, administered by DoAg, that may be used for 2021HB-06504-R000434-FN.DOCX Page 3 of 3
sterilizing and vaccinating feral cats.
1
These sections update the reimbursement paid to veterinarians
participating in the animal population control program up to 75% of
the market rate for sterilization and vaccination services, plus $30,
instead of $20 as under current law. Currently, a veterinarian receives,
$120 for a female dog, $100 for a male dog, $70 for a female cat, and
$50 for a male cat, per sterilization, which is expected to be less than
market rate in most municipalities.
The increase in reimbursement rate would result in the animal
population control account expending funds at a rate faster than it
otherwise would under the bill. The current balance in the animal
population control account is $644,517. In 2020, there were 5,946
vouchers were issued under the animal population control program.
The Out Years
The annualized ongoing fiscal impact identified above would
continue into the future subject to the number of animals served under
the program and the number of violations that occur.
1
DoAg's Animal Population Control Program: (1) provides low-income Connecticut
residents discounted sterilization and vaccination options for dogs and cats, and (2)
assists registered nonprofit rescue groups with the sterilization and vaccination of
feral cats. DoAg uses a separate, nonlapsing APC account for these costs. Revenue is
derived from a surcharge on municipal dog licenses, certain animal adoption fees for
pounds’ unsterilized cats and dogs, and proceeds from commemorative APCP
“Caring for Pets” license plates.