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| 5 | 5 | | 2025 -- S 0180 |
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| 6 | 6 | | ======== |
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| 7 | 7 | | LC000997 |
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| 8 | 8 | | ======== |
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| 9 | 9 | | S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D |
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| 10 | 10 | | IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 11 | 11 | | JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2025 |
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| 12 | 12 | | ____________ |
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| 13 | 13 | | |
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| 14 | 14 | | A N A C T |
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| 15 | 15 | | RELATING TO ANIMALS AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY -- CRUELTY TO ANIMALS |
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| 16 | 16 | | Introduced By: Senators Murray, Britto, Tikoian, Sosnowski, DiMario, Bell, Valverde, |
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| 17 | 17 | | McKenney, Euer, and Lauria |
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| 18 | 18 | | Date Introduced: February 07, 2025 |
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| 19 | 19 | | Referred To: Senate Environment & Agriculture |
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| 20 | 20 | | |
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| 21 | 21 | | |
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| 22 | 22 | | It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: |
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| 23 | 23 | | SECTION 1. Chapter 4-1 of the General Laws entitled "Cruelty to Animals" is hereby 1 |
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| 24 | 24 | | amended by adding thereto the following section: 2 |
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| 25 | 25 | | 4-1-44. Declawing cats prohibited. 3 |
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| 26 | 26 | | (a) For purposes of this section: 4 |
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| 27 | 27 | | (1) "Declawing" means an onychectomy or any other surgical procedure to amputate or 5 |
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| 28 | 28 | | modify a portion of a cat's paw in order to remove the cat's claws. "Declawing" does not include 6 |
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| 29 | 29 | | the trimming of nonviable claw husk or placing nonpermanent nail caps. 7 |
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| 30 | 30 | | (2) "Tendonectomy" means a procedure in which the tendons to a cat's limbs, paws, or toes 8 |
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| 31 | 31 | | are cut or modified in order that the normal functioning of the claws is impaired. 9 |
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| 32 | 32 | | (3) "Therapeutic purpose" means a medically necessary procedure to address an existing 10 |
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| 33 | 33 | | or recurring illness, infection, disease, injury, or abnormal condition in the claws, nail bed, or toe 11 |
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| 34 | 34 | | bone, that compromises the cat's health. "Therapeutic purpose" shall not include a procedure 12 |
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| 35 | 35 | | performed for a cosmetic or aesthetic purpose or to make the cat more convenient to keep or handle. 13 |
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| 36 | 36 | | (b) It is unlawful for any person to perform surgical claw removal, declawing, or a 14 |
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| 37 | 37 | | tendonectomy on any cat or otherwise alter a cat's toes, claws, or paws to prevent or impair the 15 |
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| 38 | 38 | | normal function of the cat's toes, claws, or paws. 16 |
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| 39 | 39 | | (c) This section does not apply to a procedure performed solely for a therapeutic purpose. 17 |
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| 40 | 40 | | (d) Any person found guilty of violating this section shall be fined not more than one 18 |
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| 41 | 41 | | thousand dollars ($1,000). 19 |
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| 42 | 42 | | |
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| 43 | 43 | | |
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| 44 | 44 | | LC000997 - Page 2 of 3 |
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| 45 | 45 | | (e) The prosecution of violations of this section shall be in accordance with ยง 4-1-20. 1 |
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| 46 | 46 | | SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. 2 |
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| 47 | 47 | | ======== |
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| 48 | 48 | | LC000997 |
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| 49 | 49 | | ======== |
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| 51 | 51 | | |
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| 52 | 52 | | LC000997 - Page 3 of 3 |
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| 53 | 53 | | EXPLANATION |
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| 54 | 54 | | BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL |
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| 55 | 55 | | OF |
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| 56 | 56 | | A N A C T |
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| 57 | 57 | | RELATING TO ANIMALS AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY -- CRUELTY TO ANIMALS |
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| 58 | 58 | | *** |
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| 59 | 59 | | This act would prohibit the declawing of cats by any surgical procedure to amputate or 1 |
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| 60 | 60 | | modify a portion of a cat's paw in order to remove the cat's claws. This section would not apply to 2 |
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| 61 | 61 | | any procedure performed for a therapeutic purpose. 3 |
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| 62 | 62 | | This act would take effect upon passage. 4 |
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| 63 | 63 | | ======== |
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| 64 | 64 | | LC000997 |
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| 65 | 65 | | ======== |
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| 66 | 66 | | |
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