Massachusetts 2023-2024 Regular Session

Massachusetts Senate Bill S549 Compare Versions

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22 SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1393 FILED ON: 1/19/2023
33 SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 549
44 The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
55 _________________
66 PRESENTED BY:
77 Patrick M. O'Connor
88 _________________
99 To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
1010 Court assembled:
1111 The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
1212 An Act banning the retail sale of dogs, cats, and rabbits in new pet shops.
1313 _______________
1414 PETITION OF:
1515 NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :Patrick M. O'ConnorFirst Plymouth and NorfolkAdam Scanlon14th Bristol1/20/2023Jack Patrick Lewis7th Middlesex1/26/2023Michael O. MooreSecond Worcester2/2/2023Angelo J. Puppolo, Jr.12th Hampden2/6/2023John F. KeenanNorfolk and Plymouth2/14/2023James K. Hawkins2nd Bristol2/24/2023Jason M. LewisFifth Middlesex3/3/2023Paul W. MarkBerkshire, Hampden, Franklin and
1616 Hampshire
1717 3/6/2023Steven S. Howitt4th Bristol3/6/2023Bradley H. Jones, Jr.20th Middlesex3/6/2023 1 of 2
1818 SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1393 FILED ON: 1/19/2023
1919 SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 549
2020 By Mr. O'Connor, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 549) of Patrick M. O'Connor,
2121 Adam Scanlon, Jack Patrick Lewis, Michael O. Moore and other members of the General Court
2222 for legislation to ban the retail sale of dogs, cats, and rabbits in new pet shops. Environment and
2323 Natural Resources.
2424 The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
2525 _______________
2626 In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
2727 (2023-2024)
2828 _______________
2929 An Act banning the retail sale of dogs, cats, and rabbits in new pet shops.
3030 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
3131 of the same, as follows:
3232 1 SECTION 1. Section 39A of Chapter 129 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2020
3333 2Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting before the word “Every”, in line 1, the letter:-(a)
3434 3 SECTION 2. Section 39A of Chapter 129 of the General Law, , is hereby further
3535 4amended by striking out the word “section”, in line 13, and inserting in place thereof the
3636 5following word:-subsection
3737 6 SECTION 3. Section 39A of Chapter 129 of the General Laws is hereby further amended
3838 7by inserting after subsection (a) the following new subsections:-
3939 8 (b) No person engaged in the business of operating a pet shop for which a license must be
4040 9obtained pursuant to subsection (a); and are regulated under 330 CMR 12.00 shall sell or offer
4141 10for sale a dog or cat, unless: 2 of 2
4242 11 (1) the person engaged in the business of operating the pet shop received a Class A
4343 12license from the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources on or before the effective
4444 13date of this act; and
4545 14 (2) such person only sells or offers for sale dogs or cats from the location licensed to sell
4646 15or offer for sale dogs or cats under subsection (b) paragraph (1).
4747 16 (c) No person engaged in the business of operating a pet shop for which a license must be
4848 17obtained pursuant to subsection (a); and are regulated under 330 CMR 12.00 shall sell or offer
4949 18for sale a rabbit, unless:
5050 19 (1) the person engaged in the business of operating the pet shop sold rabbits on or before
5151 20the effective date of this act; and
5252 21 (2) such person only sells or offers for sale rabbits from the location licensed to sell or
5353 22offer for sale animals under 330 CMR 12.00.
5454 23 (d) Nothing in subsections (b) or (c) shall affect the authority of any town, city, or other
5555 24locality to regulate or prohibit the sale of dogs, cats, or rabbits.
5656 25 SECTION 4. Whereas, the deferred operation of this act would tend to defeat its purpose,
5757 26which is to establish forthwith certain changes to pet shop licensing and operations law,
5858 27therefore, it is hereby declared to be an emergency law, necessary for the immediate preservation
5959 28of the public health.