California Update on Bills Impacting Dog Owners

Last week was a pivotal point in the California Legislature with the deadline passing for bills to clear fiscal committees in their house of origin to be eligible for further advancement during the session. This year was especially challenging for bills that increased spending given the state’s sizeable budget deficit. Below are updates of key bills the American Kennel Club (AKC) has been tracking. AKC will continue to monitor the California Legislature for any new developments or changes to bills that could impact you.

To see the complete list of bills you can do so by checking the AKC legislative tracker.

Bills impacted by last week’s fiscal committee deadline:

• Assembly Bill 2012 – Rabies control data.
  • Status: Held in Assembly Appropriations Committee; will not advance this year.
  • Summary: This bill would have required animal shelters in cities and counties to report various rabies control program data to the state. This restores the protocol that lapsed during the Brown administration and will provide a uniform and objective set of data when evaluating the conditions of animal shelters. AKC looks forward to supporting similar legislation in the future.

• Assembly Bill 2425 – Bowie’s Law: animals: adoption, shelter overcrowding, and breeding.
  • Status: Held in Assembly Business & Professions Committee.
  • Summary: This bill, opposed by AKC, would have put new requirements on animal shelters and changed the definition of a dog breeder in California from someone who breeds three litters or transfers 20 dogs to someone who transfers two litters or 10 dogs. AKC will continue to monitor any similar legislation that arises in the future. 

• Assembly Bill 2042 – Law enforcement: police canines.
  • Status: Amended and advanced out of Assembly Appropriations Committee.
  • Summary: This bill is an amended version of AB 742 from 2023 and would direct the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) to develop standards and training guidelines for the use of canines by law enforcement. AKC is working with the author’s office and will continue to monitor the proposal.

• Assembly Bill 3241 – Law enforcement: police canines.
  • Status: Advanced out of Assembly Appropriations Committee.
  • Summary: This bill would increase data reporting requirements for police departments concerning the use of police canines and direct the Commission on Peace  Officer Standards and Training (POST) to develop new training standards and deployment guidelines. AKC is working with the author’s office and will continue to monitor the proposal.

• Assembly Bill 2265 – Animals: euthanasia
  • Status: Held in Assembly Appropriations Committee; will not advance this year.
  • Summary: This bill would have limited the ability for animal shelters to perform euthanasia in certain circumstances.
• Senate Bill 1459 – Animals shelters
  • Status: Amended and advanced out of Assembly Appropriations Committee; ordered to second reading.
  • Summary: This bill requires animal shelters in counties with more than 400,000 people to collect and publish certain statistics on their website, including sources of animal intake. AKC is monitoring this proposal.

Other AKC tracked bills:

• Senate Bill 89 – Crimes: stalking
  • Status: Passed Senate unanimously; before the Assembly Public Safety Committee
  • Summary: This bill seeks to expands what constitutes 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.
•  Assembly Bill 2216 – Tenancy: common household pets
  • Status: Passed Assembly Judiciary Committee; ordered to third reading.
  • Summary: This bill looks to expand access to people with pets being able to access rental housing and bans “pet rent.” AKC is monitoring the proposal.

• Assembly Bill 2248 – Contracts: sales of dogs and cats.
  • Status: Passed Assembly unanimously; awaiting action in the Senate.
  • Summary: This bill states that a contract to transfer ownership of a dog or cat is void if all of the following are satisfied:
    1. The buyer is in California,
    2. The contract requires a nonrefundable deposit, AND
    3. The contract does not identify the original source of the dog or cat, including, but not limited to, the breeder.

• • AKC is monitoring this bill.

• Senate Bill 922 – Animal Cruelty
  • Status: Pulled by the author; will not advance this year.
  • Summary: This bill would have enhanced the fines for leaving an animal in an unattended vehicle during dangerous weather conditions, including hot weather. It would also have provided for counseling and education to people cited under this statute. AKC will continue to monitor similar proposals should they arise in the future.

• Assembly Bill 1988 – Stray animals: Availability for adoption or release.
  • Status: Passed Assembly unanimously; awaiting action in the Senate.
  • Summary: This bill would allow animal shelters to immediately adopt out puppies and kittens in the narrow instance of owner surrenders. AKC is monitoring this proposal.

AKC Government Relations continues to monitor bills in California impacting dog owners and will provide updates.  For questions or more information, contact AKC GR at doglaw@akc.org.