Maryland 2025 Regular Session

Maryland House Bill HB162 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1
2	2
3	3	EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
4	4	[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
5	5	hb0162
6	6
7	7	HOUSE BILL 162
8	8	M4 5lr1107
9	9	HB 9/20 – ENT (PRE–FILED) CF 5lr1744
10	10	By: Delegate Ziegler
11	11	Requested: October 3, 2024
12	12	Introduced and read first time: January 8, 2025
13	13	Assigned to: Environment and Transportation
14	14
15	15	A BILL ENTITLED
16	16
17	17	AN ACT concerning 1
18	18
19	19	Maryland Horse Industry Board – Breeding Stables and Horse Establishments – 2
20	20	Definitions 3
21	21
22	22	FOR the purpose of defining the term “breeding stable” as it relates to licensure, inspection, 4
23	23	and regulation by the Maryland Horse Industry Board; altering the definition of 5
24	24	“horse establishment” to include a breeding stable; and generally relating to the 6
25	25	licensure, inspection, and regulation of horse establishments by the Maryland Horse 7
26	26	Industry Board. 8
27	27
28	28	BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 9
29	29	Article – Agriculture 10
30	30	Section 2–701 11
31	31	Annotated Code of Maryland 12
32	32	(2016 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 13
33	33
34	34	BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 14
35	35	Article – Agriculture 15
36	36	Section 2–710, 2–713(a), 2–714(b), and 2–715 16
37	37	Annotated Code of Maryland 17
38	38	(2016 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 18
39	39
40	40	SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 19
41	41	That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 20
42	42
43	43	Article – Agriculture 21
44	44
45	45	2–701. 22
46	46
47	47	(a) In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated. 23
48	48	2 HOUSE BILL 162
49	49
50	50
51	51	(b) “Board” means the Maryland Horse Industry Board. 1
52	52
53	53	(c) “Boarding stable” means an establishment that solicits or offers to the public 2
54	54	to stable horses. 3
55	55
56	56	(D) “BREEDING STABLE ” MEANS AN ESTABLISHME NT IN CONNECTION WITH 4
57	57	WHICH ONE OR MORE HORSES ARE OFFERED FOR SALE TO THE PUBLIC FOR 5
58	58	BREEDING OR AS THE P RODUCT OF BREEDING . 6
59	59
60	60	[(d)] (E) “Equine activities” includes teaching equestrian skills, participating in 7
61	61	equestrian competitions, exhibitions or other displays of equestrian skills, and caring for, 8
62	62	breeding, boarding, renting, riding, or training horses. 9
63	63
64	64	[(e)] (F) “Horse” includes horses, donkeys, mules, and ponies. 10
65	65
66	66	[(f)] (G) “Horse establishment” means an establishment that solicits or offers to 11
67	67	the public any of the following services: 12
68	68
69	69	(1) A boarding stable; 13
70	70
71	71	(2) A BREEDING STABLE ; 14
72	72
73	73	[(2)] (3) A lesson or rental stable; or 15
74	74
75	75	[(3)] (4) A rescue or sanctuary stable. 16
76	76
77	77	[(g)] (H) “Lesson or rental stable” means an establishment in connection with 17
78	78	which one or more horses are offered to the public to be let for hire, to be ridden or driven, 18
79	79	either with or without the furnishing of riding or driving instructions. 19
80	80
81	81	[(h)] (I) “Rescue or sanctuary stable” means an establishment that offers to the 20
82	82	public to shelter or keep one or more horses for humane purposes with or without 21
83	83	compensation and with or without tax–exempt status. 22
84	84
85	85	[(i)] (J) “Stable” means a place where one or more horses are under the care, 23
86	86	custody, and control of an operator. 24
87	87
88	88	2–710. 25
89	89
90	90	A person may not engage in the business of operating or maintaining any horse 26
91	91	establishment unless the person has received a license issued by the Board. 27
92	92
93	93	2–713. 28
94	94
95	95	(a) Each horse establishment licensed under this subtitle shall be inspected as 29
96	96	determined by the Board. 30 HOUSE BILL 162 3
97	97
98	98
99	99
100	100	2–714. 1
101	101
102	102	(b) Each licensee shall display the license conspicuously on the premises where a 2
103	103	horse establishment is operated by the licensee. 3
104	104
105	105	2–715. 4
106	106
107	107	The Board may suspend or revoke the license issued to any licensee under this 5
108	108	subtitle, if the licensee: 6
109	109
110	110	(1) Fails to provide suitable food, water, and shelter for a horse under the 7
111	111	control of the licensee; 8
112	112
113	113	(2) Maintains an unsanitary or unfit horse establishment; 9
114	114
115	115	(3) Fails to provide suitable saddles, bridles, harnesses, and other tack or 10
116	116	equipment; 11
117	117
118	118	(4) Allows unfit horses to be used for riding or driving purposes; 12
119	119
120	120	(5) Refuses to allow a member of the Board to enter and inspect the 13
121	121	licensed premises; 14
122	122
123	123	(6) Obstructs any member of the Board in the performance of his duties; 15
124	124
125	125	(7) Commits an act of cruelty as defined in § 10–601 of the Criminal Law 16
126	126	Article, or allows the commission of an act of cruelty by any other person with relation to 17
127	127	any horse under the control of the licensee; 18
128	128
129	129	(8) Does any other action that, in the opinion of the Board, taking into 19
130	130	consideration the welfare of the horses under the control of the licensee, shows that the 20
131	131	licensee is unfit to operate a horse establishment; or 21
132	132
133	133	(9) Fails to comply with the rules and regulations of the Board after 22
134	134	receiving a license. 23
135	135
136	136	SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 24
137	137	October 1, 2025. 25
138	138