Legislative Alerts

On Thursday, May 30, 2024, the New Hampshire (NH) House favorably passed amended House Bill 1526 in order to increase access to veterinary professionals by allowing for the conditional licensure of foreign-educated veterinarians currently in the process of obtaining an Educational Commission for Foreign Veterinary Graduates (ECFVG) certificate. Earlier this month, the Senate amended H. […]

The Pennsylvania House Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee is scheduled to consider House Bill 2354 on Monday, June 3, 2024, at 11:15a.  As introduced, HB 2354 seeks to address concerns expressed by boarding kennels along the state borders. Those who are impacted by both the current Pennsylvania boarding kennel requirements and those proposed by HB […]

Last week, two closely watched bills that would affect how law enforcement K-9s are deployed advanced out of the State Assembly and were transmitted to the senate for consideration. Although these bills are separate, they are related in that they are advancing as a package and both would need to become law during the 2023-2024 […]

In addition to the proposed rules announced last week, the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets, and Food (Department) has announced additional proposed rules to incorporate changes required by 2021’s HB 2. These amendments to the regulations on the Transfer of Animals and Birds include: An increase in the number of dogs transferred in a […]

A bill that would ban “debarking” – a recognized veterinary practice also known as bark softening – continues to advance in the New York Assembly.  With only a few days of session remaining, it is possible this could continue to move quickly. The bill is pending in the Rules Committee, which is a procedural step […]

Early this morning, the U.S. House Agriculture Committee approved a House Farm Bill (H.R. 8467) that supports important priorities for dog enthusiasts and responsible breeders, including canine health, welfare and the rights of responsible dog owners. The bill was also approved without problematic potential amendments outlined in the May 17 alert.    We thank everyone […]

In 2021, New Hampshire signed HB 2 into law, which included the establishment of a new electronic statewide animal records database.  The bill required the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets, and Food (Department) to design, establish, and contract with a third party for the implementation of an electronic system to facilitate the handling of […]

The New York Senate is expected to soon consider two bills that would have a significant positive impact on dogs and dog owners in New York. AKC encourages New York residents to join us in support of these bills by contacting your State Senator today and asking them to support Senate Bill 7416, to protect […]

In June, the California Assembly Public Safety Committee will consider a bill that seeks to expands the definition of stalking to include behavior that seeks to harm or threaten a domestic violence victim’s pets, service animals, or emotional support animals. This bill would bring California in line with the federal stalking statute. AKC encourages California […]

 South Carolina’s two-year legislative session adjourned on May 9, 2024, and this week Governor Henry McMaster signed into law two bills that affect dogs and dog owners: House Bill 4611 makes it an offense for a person to intentionally remove or destroy an electronic collar or other electronic device that was placed on a dog […]