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| 2 | 2 | | SENATE DOCKET, NO. 27 FILED ON: 1/10/2023 |
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| 3 | 3 | | SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 491 |
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| 4 | 4 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 5 | 5 | | _________________ |
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| 6 | 6 | | PRESENTED BY: |
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| 7 | 7 | | Anne M. Gobi |
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| 8 | 8 | | _________________ |
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| 9 | 9 | | To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General |
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| 10 | 10 | | Court assembled: |
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| 11 | 11 | | The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill: |
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| 12 | 12 | | An Act relative to creating an animal advisory board to the Massachusetts Department of |
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| 13 | 13 | | Agriculture. |
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| 14 | 14 | | _______________ |
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| 15 | 15 | | PETITION OF: |
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| 16 | 16 | | NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :Anne M. GobiWorcester and HampshireKimberly N. Ferguson1st Worcester2/7/2023 1 of 2 |
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| 17 | 17 | | SENATE DOCKET, NO. 27 FILED ON: 1/10/2023 |
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| 18 | 18 | | SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 491 |
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| 19 | 19 | | By Ms. Gobi, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 491) of Anne M. Gobi and Kimberly |
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| 20 | 20 | | N. Ferguson for legislation relative to creating an animal advisory board to the Massachusetts |
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| 21 | 21 | | Department of Agriculture. Environment and Natural Resources. |
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| 22 | 22 | | [SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION |
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| 23 | 23 | | SEE SENATE, NO. 551 OF 2021-2022.] |
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| 24 | 24 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 25 | 25 | | _______________ |
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| 26 | 26 | | In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court |
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| 27 | 27 | | (2023-2024) |
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| 28 | 28 | | _______________ |
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| 29 | 29 | | An Act relative to creating an animal advisory board to the Massachusetts Department of |
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| 30 | 30 | | Agriculture. |
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| 31 | 31 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority |
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| 32 | 32 | | of the same, as follows: |
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| 33 | 33 | | 1 There shall be established an Animal Advisory Board constituted for the general purpose |
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| 34 | 34 | | 2of advising the Massachusetts Department of Agriculture (MDAR). |
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| 35 | 35 | | 3 The members of the advisory board shall include the shelter and rescue coordinator at |
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| 36 | 36 | | 4MDAR or their designee, who shall serve as chair. The Governor shall appoint 8 additional |
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| 37 | 37 | | 5persons, 1 of whom shall be a member of a small foster-based rescue; 1 of whom shall be a |
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| 38 | 38 | | 6member of a larger animal welfare organization; 1 of whom shall be a member of a national |
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| 39 | 39 | | 7animal welfare organization that provides interstate transport; 1of whom shall be a veterinarian |
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| 40 | 40 | | 8who is certified by the Association of Shelter Veterinarians; 1 if whom shall be a veterinarian |
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| 41 | 41 | | 9experienced with companion animal work; 1 of whom shall be a veterinarian with livestock 2 of 2 |
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| 42 | 42 | | 10and/or farm experience; 1 of whom shall be a lawyer with animal welfare experience, and 1 of |
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| 43 | 43 | | 11whom shall be an Animal Control Officer operating in the Commonwealth with at least five |
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| 44 | 44 | | 12years of experience. |
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| 45 | 45 | | 13 The advisory board shall meet quarterly and at the call of the commissioner or upon the |
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| 46 | 46 | | 14written request of any two members. The board is charged with advising the commissioner on |
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| 47 | 47 | | 15issues relating, but not limited to, shelters, animal control officers, animal inspectors, training |
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| 48 | 48 | | 16and best practices. The Animal advisory board, in conjunction with the department, shall make |
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| 49 | 49 | | 17an annual report to the joint committee on the environment, natural resources and agriculture as |
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| 50 | 50 | | 18to their activities under this section. |
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| 51 | 51 | | 19 All members of the advisory board will serve without compensation. |
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