Updates on WA Animal Legislation

A few quick updates on several items of WA animal-related legislation:

There is a hearing on HB 5102, the veterinarian immunity law, scheduled on Wednesday, March 13th at 8am in the House Committee on Judiciary in Olympia. http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=5102&year=2013

You may see the previous WA Animal Watch post about veterinary immunity laws here: http://waanimal.blogspot.com/2013/02/why-veterinarians-should-not-be-immune.html

HB 1202, "Animal Cruelty Prevention," has been placed on the House floor calendar, which makes it eligible for a vote by all members of the State House of Representatives. If it passes that, the next step would be the Senate. http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=1202

SB 5202, the spay/neuter assistance bill, was moved on March 8th from the Senate Rules Committee to the Senate floor calendar. The next step would be a vote by all members of the Washington State Senate. An amendment and the substitute bill change the funding mechanism to donations rather than a tax on pet food or pet licensing. http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=5202&year=2013

Two new animal-related laws were introduced in the WA state legislature on Feb. 8th:

HB 1786 would require registration of animal abusers (defined as anyone convicted of 1st or 2nd degree cruelty, animal fighting, or poisoning animals). http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=1786&year=2013

See our previous post about animal abuser registry bills here: http://waanimal.blogspot.com/2011/12/animal-abuser-registry-bills.html

HB 1787 would ban the tail docking of dairy cows, outlawing both the act of docking and also essentially banning ownership of already-docked cows, in addition to forbidding bringing them into the state. http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=1787&year=2013

Rep. Derek Stanford is the prime sponsor of HB 1786 and 1787.

A few more animal-related pieces of legislation in WA:

HB 1830 would change the crime of causing harm to a service animal or search and rescue animal from a gross misdemeanor to a Class C felony if done "with reckless disregard". In previously existing law, a Class C felony under this statute required intent to harm the animal. As of today, it has received a first reading and been referred to the Judiciary committee. http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?year=2013&bill=1830

  
HB 1024 and SB 5645 revise the language in WA statutes regarding service animals to more closely align with federal law.

HB 1024: http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?year=2013&bill=1024

SB 5645: http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?year=2013&bill=5645

HB 1886 adds data entry and processing expenses to the costs that can be recovered by the Dept. of Agriculture in disease control and traceability actions. http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?year=2013&bill=1886 

SHB 1010 expands the requirement to add an aversive agent to antifreeze/coolant to include wholesale containers of 55 gallons or more, and exempts spent antifreeze/coolant being stored/transported for disposal. http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=1010&year=2013