Connecticut 2025 Regular Session

Connecticut House Bill HB06231 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1		-
2		-
3		-	LCO 1 of 3
4		-
5		-	General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 6231
6		-	January Session, 2025
7	1
8	2
9	3
	4	+	LCO No. 5818 1 of 3
	5	+
	6	+	General Assembly Committee Bill No. 6231
	7	+	January Session, 2025
	8	+	LCO No. 5818
10	9
11	10
12		-	AN ACT RESTRICTING THE EUTHANIZATION OF FERAL CATS,
13		-	PROHIBITING CERTAIN EMPLOYMENT AS AN ANIMAL CONTROL
14		-	OFFICER AND STUDYING THE INVOLVEMENT OF OUTSIDE
15		-	ORGANIZATIONS AT ANIMAL CONTROL FACILITIES.
	11	+	Referred to Committee on ENVIRONMENT
	12	+
	13	+
	14	+	Introduced by:
	15	+	(ENV)
	16	+
	17	+
	18	+
	19	+	AN ACT RESTRICTING THE EUTHANIZATION OF FERAL CATS AND
	20	+	REQUIRING THE INVOLVEMENT OF FERAL CAT ORGANIZATIONS
	21	+	FOR THE TRAPPING OF SUCH ANIMALS.
16	22		Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
17	23		Assembly convened:
18	24
19	25		Section 1. Section 22-339d of the general statutes is repealed and the 1
20	26		following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage): 2
21	27		(a) A municipality may adopt an ordinance requiring the registration, 3
22	28		within one year of the adoption of such ordinance, of keepers of feral 4
23	29		cats in residential or commercial areas. Such ordinance shall require that 5
24	30		any such keeper shall register with the animal control officer for such 6
25	31		municipality who shall provide information to the registrant regarding 7
26	32		the proper care and management of feral cats. For purposes of this 8
27	33		section, "feral cat" means a free-roaming domestic cat which is not 9
28	34		owned and "keeper" means any person or organization, harboring, 10
29	35		regularly feeding or having in his or its possession any feral cat. Refusal 11
30	36		to permit any animal control officer to impound a feral cat shall be 12
31	37		deemed evidence of keeping. Such ordinance shall require that such 13
32	38		keepers shall provide for the vaccination of such cats against rabies and 14
33	39		the sterilization of such cats. Such keeper shall be considered an eligible 15
34		-	owner for purposes of the animal population control program 16
35		-	established under sections 22-380e to 22-380m, inclusive, provided such 17 Substitute Bill No. 6231
	40	+	Committee Bill No. 6231
36	41
37	42
38		-	LCO 2 of 3
	43	+	LCO No. 5818 2 of 3
39	44
	45	+	owner for purposes of the animal population control program 16
	46	+	established under sections 22-380e to 22-380m, inclusive, provided such 17
40	47		cats are adopted from a municipal pound. 18
41	48		(b) A municipality may adopt an ordinance providing that no person 19
42	49		owning or keeping any cat shall permit such animal to (1) substantially 20
43	50		damage property other than the property of the owner or keeper, or (2) 21
44	51		cause an unsanitary [,] or dangerous [or unreasonably offensive] 22
45	52		condition. Violation of such provision shall be an infraction. 23
46		-	(c) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter: (1) Each 24
47		-	animal control officer shall consult an animal rescue or feral cat 25
48		-	organization when undertaking efforts to control the feral cat 26
49		-	population in any such municipality for the purpose of the possible 27
50		-	placement of any such feral cat in the care of such organization, and (2) 28
51		-	no municipality, animal control officer or regional animal control officer 29
52		-	shall euthanize a feral cat for any purpose other than that such animal 30
53		-	presents a public health danger, such as a communicable disease, 31
54		-	including, but not limited to, rabies, or such cat is injured to an extent 32
55		-	that euthanasia is determined to be the only humane course of action by 33
56		-	a veterinarian licensed in this state. 34
57		-	Sec. 2. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2025) No person shall serve, or 35
58		-	continue to serve, as an animal control officer or regional animal control 36
59		-	officer, pursuant to section 22-331 or 22-331a of the general statutes, as 37
60		-	applicable, if such person is convicted of animal abuse or neglect 38
61		-	pursuant to section 53-247 of the general statutes, enters a plea of nolo 39
62		-	contendere on such a charge or enters into a plea bargain concerning 40
63		-	such a charge. 41
64		-	Sec. 3. (Effective from passage) Not later than July 1, 2025, the 42
65		-	Commissioner of Agriculture shall convene a working group within the 43
66		-	Department of Agriculture to develop recommendations for legislation 44
67		-	to: (1) Create guidelines and determine best practices for the provision 45
68		-	of mutual aid to animal control and dog pound facilities by animal 46
69		-	rescue organizations and members of the public, (2) address ways to 47
70		-	shorten the length of time seized animals are kept in custody at such 48
71		-	facilities, (3) improve current training standards for animal control 49 Substitute Bill No. 6231
72		-
73		-
74		-	LCO 3 of 3
75		-
76		-	officers through enhanced continuing education requirements, and (4) 50
77		-	establish protocols for the use of volunteers in animal control facilities. 51
78		-	Such working group shall consist of: (A) The Commissioner of 52
79		-	Agriculture, or the commissioner's designee, (B) the Chief State's 53
80		-	Attorney, or such attorney's designee, (C) three representatives of an 54
81		-	organization that represents animal control officers who shall be 55
82		-	appointed by the commissioner and, respectively, represent urban, 56
83		-	suburban and rural municipalities, (D) a representative of a municipal 57
84		-	police department, appointed by the commissioner, and (E) a 58
85		-	representative from an animal rights organization, appointed by the 59
86		-	commissioner. Such working group shall hold not less than two public 60
87		-	forums in undertaking the responsibilities described in this section. The 61
88		-	commissioner, on or before February 1, 2026, shall submit the 62
89		-	recommendations of such working group to the joint standing 63
90		-	committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters 64
91		-	relating to the environment, in accordance with section 11-4a of the 65
92		-	general statutes. 66
93		-	Sec. 4. Section 22-332d of the general statutes is repealed. (Effective 67
94		-	from passage) 68
	53	+	(c) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, (1) each 24
	54	+	animal control officer shall engage the assistance of an animal rescue or 25
	55	+	feral cat organization when undertaking efforts to control the feral cat 26
	56	+	population in any such municipality, and (2) no municipality, animal 27
	57	+	control officer or regional animal control officer shall euthanize a feral 28
	58	+	cat for any purpose other than such animal presenting a public health 29
	59	+	danger, such as a communicable disease, including, but not limited to 30
	60	+	rabies, or if such cat is injured to an extent that euthanasia is determined 31
	61	+	to be the only humane course of action by a veterinarian licensed in this 32
	62	+	state. 33
	63	+	Sec. 2. Section 22-332d of the general statutes is repealed. (Effective 34
	64	+	from passage) 35
95	65		This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
96	66		sections:
97	67
98	68		Section 1 from passage 22-339d
99		-	Sec. 2 October 1, 2025 New section
100		-	Sec. 3 from passage New section
101		-	Sec. 4 from passage Repealer section
	69	+	Sec. 2 from passage Repealer section
102	70
103		-	ENV Joint Favorable Subst.
	71	+	Statement of Purpose:
	72	+	To restrict the use of euthanasia on feral cat populations and require the
	73	+	involvement of feral cat organizations in the trapping of feral cats by
	74	+	animal control officers.
	75	+
	76	+	Committee Bill No. 6231
	77	+
	78	+
	79	+	LCO No. 5818 3 of 3
	80	+
	81	+	[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
	82	+	that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
	83	+	underlined.]
	84	+
	85	+	Co-Sponsors: REP. LINEHAN, 103rd Dist.
	86	+
	87	+	H.B. 6231
	88	+
104	89