BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  AB 670
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   April 25, 2007

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                  Mark Leno, Chair
                                           
                   AB 670 (Spitzer) - As Amended:  April 10, 2007  

          Policy Committee:                              Public  
          SafetyVote:   7-0

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:   
          Yes    Reimbursable:              No

           SUMMARY  

          This bill requires a person who owns or has custody of an  
          animal, and knows the animal bit another person, to immediately  
          provide the other person with name, address, telephone number  
          and the name and license tag number of the animal who bit the  
          other person. If the animal is required by law to be vaccinated  
          against rabies, the person owning or having custody or control  
          of the animal shall, within 48 hours of the bite, provide the  
          other person with information regarding the status of the  
          animal's vaccinations. 

          Violation of this section would be an infraction, punishable by  
          a fine of up to $250. 
           
           FISCAL EFFECT  

          Minor increase in local fine revenue. 
           
           COMMENTS  

           1)Rationale  . The author contends that a person bitten by a dog  
            has the right to know the health status of the animal and that  
            it is the owner's responsibility to provide that information. 

           2)Suggested Amendments  . 

             a)   To protect a minor who may have custody of the animal,  
               it may be more appropriate to limit information provided to  
               license tag number and/or other identifying information  
               that would allow the person who was bit to contact the  
               animal owner.  








                                                                  AB 670
                                                                  Page  2


             b)   With penalty assessments, a $250 fine generally ends up  
               a $925 fine. The author may wish to consider reducing the  
               proposed base fine to $100, which would result in a fine of  
               about $370 with assessments. 



           Analysis Prepared by  :    Geoff Long / APPR. / (916) 319-2081