| 1 | 1 | | 1 of 2 |
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| 2 | 2 | | HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1530 FILED ON: 1/15/2025 |
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| 3 | 3 | | HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 967 |
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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 | | Natalie M. Higgins and Kimberly N. Ferguson |
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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 banning the retail sale of dogs, cats, and rabbits in new pet shops. |
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| 13 | 13 | | _______________ |
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| 14 | 14 | | PETITION OF: |
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| 15 | 15 | | NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Natalie M. Higgins4th Worcester1/15/2025Kimberly N. Ferguson1st Worcester1/15/2025Lindsay N. Sabadosa1st Hampshire1/21/2025Brian W. Murray10th Worcester1/31/2025Samantha Montaño15th Suffolk2/4/2025Steven Owens29th Middlesex2/4/2025Christopher Hendricks11th Bristol2/4/2025Marcus S. Vaughn9th Norfolk2/5/2025Brian M. Ashe2nd Hampden2/5/2025Rodney M. Elliott16th Middlesex2/6/2025Mike Connolly26th Middlesex2/7/2025Hannah Kane11th Worcester2/7/2025James K. Hawkins2nd Bristol2/8/2025Joseph D. McKenna18th Worcester2/8/2025Tara T. Hong18th Middlesex2/8/2025Manny Cruz7th Essex2/10/2025Christine P. Barber34th Middlesex2/11/2025James C. Arena-DeRosa8th Middlesex2/14/2025 2 of 2 |
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| 16 | 16 | | Jennifer Balinsky Armini8th Essex2/14/2025Marjorie C. Decker25th Middlesex2/18/2025Vanna Howard17th Middlesex2/18/2025Carole A. Fiola6th Bristol2/19/2025David Henry Argosky LeBoeuf17th Worcester2/27/2025William C. Galvin6th Norfolk2/27/2025Bruce E. TarrFirst Essex and Middlesex2/27/2025Joseph W. McGonagle, Jr.28th Middlesex2/27/2025Kathleen R. LaNatra12th Plymouth3/4/2025William F. MacGregor10th Suffolk3/4/2025Dennis C. Gallagher8th Plymouth3/4/2025Patrick Joseph Kearney4th Plymouth3/4/2025Homar Gómez2nd Hampshire3/4/2025Adam J. Scanlon14th Bristol3/4/2025Steven S. Howitt4th Bristol3/4/2025Leigh Davis3rd Berkshire3/4/2025Carmine Lawrence Gentile13th Middlesex3/4/2025Michael J. Finn6th Hampden3/5/2025Danillo A. Sena37th Middlesex3/5/2025Bradley H. Jones, Jr.20th Middlesex3/5/2025Paul K. Frost7th Worcester3/5/2025Steven George Xiarhos5th Barnstable3/5/2025David F. DeCoste5th Plymouth3/5/2025Hadley Luddy4th Barnstable3/5/2025Paul McMurtry11th Norfolk3/5/2025Sean Reid11th Essex3/6/2025Natalie M. Blais1st Franklin3/6/2025Adrianne Pusateri Ramos14th Essex3/7/2025Jay D. Livingstone8th Suffolk3/7/2025John J. Marsi6th Worcester3/7/2025Kevin G. Honan17th Suffolk3/7/2025 1 of 2 |
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| 17 | 17 | | HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1530 FILED ON: 1/15/2025 |
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| 18 | 18 | | HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 967 |
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| 19 | 19 | | By Representatives Higgins of Leominster and Ferguson of Holden, a petition (accompanied by |
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| 20 | 20 | | bill, House, No. 967) of Natalie M. Higgins, Kimberly N. Ferguson and others for legislation to |
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| 21 | 21 | | further regulate to sale of certain domestic animals. Environment and Natural Resources. |
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| 22 | 22 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 23 | 23 | | _______________ |
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| 24 | 24 | | In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court |
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| 25 | 25 | | (2025-2026) |
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| 26 | 26 | | _______________ |
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| 27 | 27 | | An Act banning the retail sale of dogs, cats, and rabbits in new pet shops. |
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| 28 | 28 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority |
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| 29 | 29 | | of the same, as follows: |
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| 30 | 30 | | 1 SECTION 1. Section 39A of chapter 129 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 |
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| 31 | 31 | | 2Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting, in line 1, before the word “Every”, the |
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| 32 | 32 | | 3following letter:- (a) |
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| 33 | 33 | | 4 SECTION 2. Said section 39A is hereby further amended by striking out, in line 13, the |
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| 34 | 34 | | 5word “section”, and inserting in place thereof the following word:- subsection |
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| 35 | 35 | | 6 SECTION 3. Said section 39A is hereby further amended by inserting after subsection (a) |
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| 36 | 36 | | 7the following 4 subsections:- |
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| 37 | 37 | | 8 (b) No person engaged in the business of operating a pet shop regulated under 330 CMR |
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| 38 | 38 | | 912.00 for which a license must be obtained pursuant to subsection (a) shall sell or offer for sale a |
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| 39 | 39 | | 10dog, cat, or rabbit. 2 of 2 |
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| 40 | 40 | | 11 (c) Subsection (b) shall not be construed to prohibit a pet shop regulated under 330 CMR |
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| 41 | 41 | | 1212.00 from offering space to an animal rescue or shelter organization to showcase dogs, cats, or |
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| 42 | 42 | | 13rabbits for adoption so long as the pet shop does not have an ownership interest in the animals |
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| 43 | 43 | | 14offered for adoption. |
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| 44 | 44 | | 15 (d) Subsection (b) shall not apply to a pet shop lawfully selling or offering for sale dogs, |
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| 45 | 45 | | 16cats, or rabbits in the Commonwealth on or before the effective date of this act, provided that: (i) |
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| 46 | 46 | | 17the pet shop maintains a valid license to operate and engage in such sales; (ii) the pet shop |
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| 47 | 47 | | 18remains in the same ownership as existed on the effective date of this act; (iii) the pet shop sells |
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| 48 | 48 | | 19or offers for sale dogs, cats, or rabbits only from the location listed on the applicable license; and |
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| 49 | 49 | | 20(iv) the specific type of animal sold by the pet shop, whether dog, cat, or rabbit, is an animal that |
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| 50 | 50 | | 21the pet shop is documented to have engaged in selling or offering for sale for at least one year |
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| 51 | 51 | | 22prior to the effective date of this act. |
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| 52 | 52 | | 23 (e) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 43 of this chapter, a person who violates |
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| 53 | 53 | | 24subsection (b) of this section shall be: (i) assessed a civil penalty of not more than $1,000 for the |
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| 54 | 54 | | 25first offense, not more than $2,500 for the second offense, and not more than $5,000 for third and |
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| 55 | 55 | | 26subsequent offenses; and (ii) subject to suspension or revocation of the pet shop license. Each |
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| 56 | 56 | | 27advertisement or offer for sale or actual sale of an animal in violation of subsection (b) shall |
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| 57 | 57 | | 28constitute a separate violation. |
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| 58 | 58 | | 29 SECTION 4. Nothing in section 39A of chapter 129 of the General Laws shall affect the |
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| 59 | 59 | | 30authority of any town, city, or other locality to regulate or prohibit the sale of dogs, cats, or |
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| 60 | 60 | | 31rabbits. |
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| 61 | 61 | | 32 SECTION 5. This act shall take effect on January 1, 2027. |
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