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| 2 | 2 | | SENATE DOCKET, NO. 2162 FILED ON: 1/17/2025 |
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| 3 | 3 | | SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 544 |
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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 | | William N. Brownsberger |
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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 prohibiting the mistreatment of birds. |
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| 13 | 13 | | _______________ |
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| 14 | 14 | | PETITION OF: |
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| 15 | 15 | | NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :William N. BrownsbergerSuffolk and MiddlesexJoanne M. ComerfordHampshire, Franklin and Worcester2/5/2025Dylan A. FernandesPlymouth and Barnstable2/5/2025Jason M. LewisFifth Middlesex2/5/2025 1 of 2 |
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| 16 | 16 | | SENATE DOCKET, NO. 2162 FILED ON: 1/17/2025 |
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| 17 | 17 | | SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 544 |
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| 18 | 18 | | By Mr. Brownsberger, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 544) of William N. |
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| 19 | 19 | | Brownsberger, Joanne M. Comerford, Dylan A. Fernandes and Jason M. Lewis for legislation to |
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| 20 | 20 | | prohibit the mistreatment of birds. Environment and Natural Resources. |
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| 21 | 21 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 22 | 22 | | _______________ |
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| 23 | 23 | | In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court |
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| 24 | 24 | | (2025-2026) |
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| 25 | 25 | | _______________ |
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| 26 | 26 | | An Act prohibiting the mistreatment of birds. |
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| 27 | 27 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority |
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| 28 | 28 | | of the same, as follows: |
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| 29 | 29 | | 1 SECTION 1. Section 118 of chapter 94 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 |
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| 30 | 30 | | 2Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting before the definition of “broker” the following |
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| 31 | 31 | | 3definition:- Bird, any winged vertebrate, such as a duck or goose. |
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| 32 | 32 | | 4 SECTION 2. Section 118 of chapter 94 is further amended by inserting after the |
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| 33 | 33 | | 5definition of “department” the following definition:- Force feeding, a process that causes a bird |
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| 34 | 34 | | 6to consume more food than a typical bird of the same species would consume voluntarily. These |
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| 35 | 35 | | 7methods include but are not limited to delivering feed through a tube or other device inserted into |
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| 36 | 36 | | 8the bird’s esophagus. |
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| 37 | 37 | | 9 SECTION 3. Section 118 of chapter 94 is further amended by striking the definition of |
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| 38 | 38 | | 10“Poultry” and replacing it with the following:- any domesticated bird, whether live or dead, |
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| 39 | 39 | | 11including a duck or goose. 2 of 2 |
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| 40 | 40 | | 12 SECTION 4. Section 127 of chapter 94, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting |
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| 41 | 41 | | 13after clause 3 of Subsection (a) the following clause:- (4) force feed a bird for the purpose of |
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| 42 | 42 | | 14enlarging the bird’s liver beyond the normal size or hire another person to do so. |
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| 43 | 43 | | 15 SECTION 5. Section 127 of said chapter 94, as so appearing, is further amended by |
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| 44 | 44 | | 16inserting after clause 3 of Subsection (b) the following clause:- (4) any products that are the |
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| 45 | 45 | | 17result of force feeding a bird for the purpose of enlarging the bird’s liver beyond the normal size. |
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