BILL ANALYSIS SB 1176 Page 1 SENATE THIRD READING SB 1176 (Aanestad) As Amended June 21, 2010 Majority vote SENATE VOTE :36-0 AGRICULTURE 8-0 ----------------------------------------------------------------- |Ayes:|Galgiani, Tom Berryhill, | | | | |Conway, Fuller, Hill, Ma, | | | | |Mendoza, Yamada | | | |-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------| | | | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY : Updates responsible party titles and references for cities and counties where estray laws or ordinances, or regulations, are in force. Permits any city or county, which has established laws, ordinances, or regulations for non-bovine estrays, to opt out of this chapter's requirements for those estrays and follow their laws, ordinances or regulations. EXISTING LAW : 1)Provides definitions of estrays as "any impounded or seized bovine animal, horse, mule, sheep, swine, or burro whose owner is unknown or cannot be located;" authorizes the taking-up of estray animals; requires notice to the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), upon the impound of a estray, and that the Secretary of CDFA shall take possession of estray bovine animals. Describes the handling and disposal requirements of estrays by the taker-up and authorized inspectors, including holding requirements based upon an animal's value. (Food and Agricultural Code (FAC) Section 17001, et seq.) 2)Provides requirements for handling, holding and disposal or sale of dogs, cats and other animals, including rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, potbellied pigs, birds, lizards, snakes, turtles, or tortoises. (FAC Section 30520 through Section 31766.) FISCAL EFFECT : None SB 1176 Page 2 COMMENTS : Due to hard economic times, some animal owners can no longer afford to feed or paddock their animals, so they turn animals loose in rural areas or into other property owners' pastures. Since 1998, horses can no longer be slaughtered in California and they cannot knowingly be sold for out-of-state slaughter, eliminating that option for disposal. With limited alternatives for disposal of horses and limited funding to provide them proper care, they may be turned loose and become a city's or county's problem. According to the Sponsors, California Agricultural Commissioners & Sealers Association, this bill is intended to clarify existing state law and local city or county procedures for handling estray (or stray) animals, other than bovine (cattle) animals. Further, SB 1176 updates antiquated terms and references in state statute to eliminate questions regarding the applicability and use of local ordinances and rules in dealing with non-bovine estrays. The sponsors do not intend these changes to impact any state requirements or statutes regarding bovine animals. Analysis Prepared by : Jim Collin / AGRI. / (916) 319-2084 FN: 0005361