Researcher: JKL Page 1 4/16/25
OLR Bill Analysis
sHB 6231
AN ACT RESTRICTING THE EUTHANIZATION OF FERAL CATS,
PROHIBITING CERTAIN EMPLOYMENT AS AN ANIMAL CONTROL
OFFICER AND STUDYING THE INVOLVEMENT OF OUTSIDE
ORGANIZATIONS AT ANIMAL CONTROL FACILITIES.
SUMMARY
This bill makes a number of unrelated changes regarding animal
control officers (ACOs), cats, and animal rescue organizations.
First, the bill prohibits a person from being a municipal or regional
ACO if he or she is convicted of animal abuse or neglect or enters a no
contest plea or plea bargain on such a charge (§ 2). Under existing law,
if convicted, a person cannot, for five years (and in addition to any other
sentence imposed), (1) harbor, own, possess, reside with, adopt, or serve
as a foster placement for any animal or (2) be employed by, or volunteer
for, any entity in any position that involves care for, or regular contact
with, any animal (CGS § 53-247(f)).
The bill prohibits a municipality or its ACO from euthanizing a feral
cat for any reason except for when the cat (1) poses a public health
danger or (2) is so injured that a Connecticut-licensed veterinarian
decides euthanasia is the only humane action. It requires ACOs to
consult an animal rescue organization when trying to control the feral
cat population in a municipality, and it revises the allowed subject of
municipal ordinances on cat ownership generally (§ 1). It also repeals
the law that permits ACOs to impound and dispose of certain cats (§ 4).
Lastly, the bill requires the Department of Agriculture (DoAg)
commissioner to convene a working group to develop legislative
recommendations for various things, including shortening the length of
time seized animals are kept in custody at the animal control facilities
and protocols for using volunteers in the facilities. The commissioner
must report recommendations to the Environment Committee by 2025HB-06231-R000716-BA.DOCX
Researcher: JKL Page 2 4/16/25
February 1, 2026 (§ 3).
EFFECTIVE DATE: Upon passage, except that the provision
prohibiting someone convicted of animal abuse or neglect from being
an ACO is effective October 1, 2025.
§§ 1 & 4 — LOCAL ACTIONS INVOLV ING CATS
Euthanizing Feral Cats
The bill prohibits a municipality or a municipal or regional ACO from
euthanizing a feral cat for any reason other than the cat (1) poses a public
health danger (e.g., has a communicable disease, including rabies) or (2)
is so injured that a Connecticut-licensed veterinarian decides euthanasia
is the only humane course of action. By law, a “feral cat” is a free-
roaming domestic cat that is not owned.
Animal Rescue Organization Consult About Feral Cats
The bill requires an ACO to consult an animal rescue or feral cat
organization when trying to control the feral cat population in a
municipality. The consult is to possibly place feral cats with the
organization.
Municipal Ordinances on Cats Generally
By law, municipalities may adopt ordinances prohibiting anyone
from owning or keeping a cat that (1) substantially damages someone
else’s property or (2) causes an unsanitary, dangerous, or unreasonably
offensive condition. The bill eliminates the “unreasonably offensive
condition” element from the permissible ordinances. By law, a violation
of such an ordinance is an infraction.
Repealed Section on Impounding and Disposing of Certain Cats
The bill repeals a current law that, among other things:
1. allows an ACO for a municipality that has adopted an ordinance
about cats generally to impound cats that are damaging another’s
property or causing an unsanitary, dangerous, or unreasonably
offensive condition;
2. requires the ACO to notify the cat’s owner or keeper, if known, 2025HB-06231-R000716-BA.DOCX
Researcher: JKL Page 3 4/16/25
about its impoundment or publish notice in a local newspaper;
3. makes it an infraction not to collect a cat one owns or keeps after
receiving notice that the ACO impounded it;
4. allows the ACO, if the cat is not claimed by its owner within
seven days, to have a veterinarian spay or neuter the cat and sell
the cat as a pet; and
5. requires the ACO to have the cat mercifully killed if it remains
unclaimed.
§ 3 — WORKING GROUP
Charge
The bill requires the DoAg commissioner, by July 1, 2025, to convene
a seven-member working group within the department to develop
legislative recommendations on the following:
1. guidelines and best practices for animal rescue organizations and
the public to provide mutual aid to animal control and dog
pound facilities,
2. ways to shorten the length of time seized animals are kept in
custody at the facilities,
3. ways to improve ACO training through enhanced continuing
education requirements, and
4. protocols for using volunteers in animal control facilities.
Membership
The working group consists of the DoAg commissioner and the chief
state’s attorney, or their designees, and five members the DoAg
commissioner appoints, as follows:
1. three representatives of an organization representing ACOs that
represent, respectively, urban, suburban, and rural
municipalities; 2025HB-06231-R000716-BA.DOCX
Researcher: JKL Page 4 4/16/25
2. a municipal police department representative; and
3. an animal rights organization representative.
Public Forums and Report
The bill requires the (1) working group to hold at least two public
forums and (2) commissioner to report the group’s recommendations to
the Environment Committee by February 1, 2026.
COMMITTEE ACTION
Environment Committee
Joint Favorable Substitute
Yea 31 Nay 2 (03/28/2025)