Florida Senate - 2013                        COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
       Bill No. CS for SB 674
       
       
       
       
       
       
                                Barcode 585102                          
       
                              LEGISLATIVE ACTION                        
                    Senate             .             House              
                  Comm: RCS            .                                
                  04/02/2013           .                                
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       The Committee on Community Affairs (Latvala) recommended the
       following:
       
    1         Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
    2  
    3         Delete everything after the enacting clause
    4  and insert:
    5         Section 1. Subsection (1) of section 823.15, Florida
    6  Statutes, is amended, present subsections (2) and (3) are
    7  redesignated as subsections (3) and (4), respectively, and a new
    8  subsection (2) is added to that section, to read:
    9         823.15 Dogs and cats released from animal shelters or
   10  animal control agencies; sterilization requirement.—
   11         (1) The Legislature has determined that the importation of
   12  dogs and cats into, and the uncontrolled breeding of dogs and
   13  cats in, this state pose risks to the well-being of dogs and
   14  cats, the health of humans and animals, and the agricultural
   15  interests in this state. Importation of dogs and cats from
   16  outside the United States could result in the transmission of
   17  diseases that have been eradicated in the United States to dogs
   18  and cats, other animals, and humans living in this state.
   19  Uncontrolled breeding The Legislature has determined that
   20  uncontrolled breeding of dogs and cats in the state results in
   21  the birth production of many more puppies and kittens than are
   22  needed to provide pet animals to new owners or to replace pet
   23  animals that which have died or become lost or to provide pet
   24  animals for new owners. This leads to many dogs, cats, puppies,
   25  and kittens being unwanted, becoming strays and suffering
   26  privation and death, being impounded and destroyed at great
   27  expense to the community, and constituting a public nuisance and
   28  public health hazard. It is therefore declared to be the public
   29  policy of the state that every feasible means be used to reduce
   30  the incidence of birth of reducing the production of unneeded
   31  and unwanted puppies and kittens be encouraged. Determining
   32  which programs result in improved adoption rates and in reduced
   33  euthanasia rates for animals in shelters and animal control
   34  agencies is crucial to this effort.
   35         (2)(a) Each public or private animal shelter, humane
   36  organization, or animal control agency operated by a humane
   37  organization or by a county, municipality, or other incorporated
   38  political subdivision, shall prepare and maintain the following
   39  records and make them available for public inspection and
   40  dissemination for the 3 preceding years. The following data will
   41  be available on a monthly basis commencing July 31, 2013:
   42         1. The total number of dogs and cats taken in by the animal
   43  shelter, humane organization, or animal control agency, divided
   44  into species, in the following categories:
   45         a. Surrendered by owner;
   46         b. Stray;
   47         c. Impounded;
   48         d. Confiscated;
   49         e. Transferred from within Florida;
   50         f. Transferred into or imported from out of the state; and
   51         g. Born in shelter.
   52  
   53  Species other than domestic cats and domestic dogs should be
   54  recorded as “other.”
   55         2. The disposition of all animals taken in by a public or
   56  private animal shelter, humane organization, or animal control
   57  agency operated by a humane society or by a county,
   58  municipality, or other incorporated political subdivision,
   59  divided into species. These data must include dispositions by:
   60         a. Adoption;
   61         b. Reclamation by owner;
   62         c. Death in kennel;
   63         d. Euthanasia at the owner’s request;
   64         e. Transfer to another public or private animal shelter,
   65  humane organization, or animal control agency operated by a
   66  humane society or by a county, municipality, or other
   67  incorporated political subdivision;
   68         f. Euthanasia;
   69         g. Released in field/Trapped, Neutered, Released (TNR);
   70         h. Lost in care/missing animals or records; and
   71         i. Ending inventory/shelter count at end of the last day of
   72  the month.
   73         3. A public or private animal shelter, humane organization,
   74  or animal control agency operated by a humane society, or by a
   75  county, municipality, or other incorporated political
   76  subdivision which routinely euthanizes dogs based on size or
   77  breed alone must provide a written statement of such policy.
   78  Dogs euthanized due to breed, temperament, or size must be
   79  recorded and included in the calculation of the total euthanasia
   80  percentage.
   81         (b) Records of a public animal shelter, humane
   82  organization, or animal control agency operated by a humane
   83  society must be made available to the public pursuant to
   84  provisions in chapter 119.
   85         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2013.
   86  
   87  ================= T I T L E A M E N D M E N T ================
   88         And the title is amended as follows:
   89         Delete everything before the enacting clause
   90  and insert:
   91                        A bill to be entitled                      
   92         An act relating to animal shelters and animal control
   93         agencies; amending s. 823.15, F.S.; declaring
   94         legislative priorities relating to the importation and
   95         uncontrolled breeding of dogs and cats; requiring that
   96         each public or private animal shelter, humane
   97         organization, or animal control agency operated by a
   98         humane society or by a county, municipality, or other
   99         incorporated political subdivision prepare and
  100         maintain specified records; specifying the information
  101         that must be included in the records; providing a
  102         maximum fee for copies of such records; providing an
  103         effective date.