Animal Legislation in GA

Georgia Alert: Status of animal legislation in Georgia as of March 8, 2010

Legislators will reconvene Monday, March 8, for the 21st legislative day of the 2010 session of the Georgia General Assembly. It’s crossover day at the Georgia General Assembly. Legislation has to clear one of the two chambers (the House or the Senate) before the end of the day or it is dead until next year, local legislation is exempted

SB 131 - The Revised Georgia Trust Code of 2009; (Bill Hambrick) - allows creation of a trust to provide for the care of an animal(s) and/or a charitable trust for animals. Status: Substitute passed House and will go back to Senate for reconsideration

HB 62 - Cancelable educational loans; State Veterinary Education Board; (Gene Maddox) - provides loan relief for large animal veterinarians willing to work in rural Georgia for specified times. Status: Passed Agriculture Committee, now in Rules

HB 109 - Cockfighting; punishments; provisions (Bob Bryant) - provides same wording as last year’s dog fighting bill for chickens. Status: No movement

HB 219 - Antifreeze; more than 10 percent ethylene glycol; provisions (Tommy Benton) - mandates including denatonium benzoate as a bittering agent. Status: Passed House

HB 429 - Family violence situations; protection for family pets; (Sharon Cooper) - allows a judge to include animals in a restraining order. Status: Passed Judiciary Non-Civil Committee, now in Rules

HB 692 - Uniform rules of the road; securing live animals in motor vehicles (Karla Drenner). Bill may be amended to only apply to the Eisenhower Interstate Network. Held in Agriculture Committee

HB 788 (HB 606 introduced in 2009) - Animal protection; methods of euthanasia; provisions (Tom Knox) - would mandate the exclusive use of sodium pentobarbital allowing exceptions, eliminate grandfathered gas chambers 4-11-5.1 (b)(2) and exceptions for counties with a population of 25,000 or less 4-11-5.1 (h) Status: Passed Science and Technology Committee, now in Rules

HB 574 - Stalking cases; protection orders; include animals (Pedro Marin)- allow a protective order to include the protection of animals. Status: No movement

HB 1153 (HB 1148 also introduced) - Public health and morals; offense of cruelty to animals; (Kevin Levitas) - Status: Judiciary Non-Civil Committee to consider a substitute on March 8th at 1:30

Sent by:
Humane Association of Georgia, Inc.
A statewide coalition of humane societies, animal control and rescue groups and individuals.

About the organization:
HAGA is known for the Animal Protection Act of 2000 that makes some acts of animal cruelty a felony and the Dog and Cat Sterilization License Plates that and the Dog and Cat Tax Check Off to fund statewide spay/neuter projects. Our formation allowed Georgia to be the first state by law to allow animals in disaster shelter. We were formed to support good animal legislation, provide education about good animal stewardship and help animals in times of disaster. HAGA is a member of the Georgia Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster.