BILL ANALYSIS Ó ------------------------------------------------------------ |SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SB 1229| |Office of Senate Floor Analyses | | |1020 N Street, Suite 524 | | |(916) 651-1520 Fax: (916) | | |327-4478 | | ------------------------------------------------------------ THIRD READING Bill No: SB 1229 Author: Pavley (D), et al. Amended: 3/29/12 Vote: 21 SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE : 5-0, 5/1/12 AYES: Evans, Harman, Blakeslee, Corbett, Leno SUBJECT : Real property: rentals: animals SOURCE : Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association The Paw Project DIGEST : This bill prohibits a landlord who allows tenants or occupants to have animals on the premises from doing any of the following: (1) advertising the property in a way that discourages individuals from applying because their animal is not declawed or devocalized; (2) refusing to allow, negotiate, or make the property available for occupancy because of a person's refusal to declaw or devocalize an animal; or (3) requiring a tenant or occupant to declaw or devocalize an animal that is allowed on the premises. This bill permits a city or district attorney, other law enforcement prosecutorial entity, or any person harmed by a violation of these provisions to enforce these provisions and sue for declaratory relief, injunctive relief, or imposition of a civil penalty of $1,000 per animal for every violation. ANALYSIS : Existing law prohibits any person from CONTINUED SB 1229 Page 2 performing, or otherwise procuring or arranging for the performance of, surgical claw removal, declawing, onychectomy, or tendonectomy on any cat that is a member of an exotic or native wild cat species, and from otherwise altering such a cat's toes, claws, or paws to prevent the normal function of the cat's toes, claws, or paws, unless the procedure is performed solely for a therapeutic purpose. (Penal Code Section 597.6) Existing law generally prohibits discrimination and related conduct with respect to the rental or sale of housing accommodations on the basis of a person's race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, ancestry, familial status, and other factors. (Government Code Section 12955) Existing law generally regulates the terms and conditions of residential tenancies and governs the obligations of tenants and landlord under a lease or tenancy. (Civil Code Section 1940 et seq.) This bill prohibits any person or corporation that occupies, owns, manages, or provides services in connection with any real property, including the individual's or corporation's agents or successors-in-interest, from doing any of the following if they allow an animal on the premises: advertise, through any means, the availability of real property for occupancy in a manner designed to discourage application for occupancy of that real property because the applicant's animal has not been declawed or devocalized; refuse to allow the occupancy of any real property, refuse to negotiate the occupancy of any real property, or to otherwise make unavailable or deny to any other person the occupancy of any real property because of that person's refusal to declaw or devocalize any animal; or require any tenant or occupant of real property to declaw or devocalize any animal allowed on the premises. CONTINUED SB 1229 Page 3 This bill confers standing to enforce this bill's provisions on a city or district attorney, other law enforcement prosecutorial entity, or any person harmed by a violation. This bill also provides that a person may sue for declaratory relief, injunctive relief, or for monetary relief as provided below. This bill provides that, in addition to any other penalty, a violation of this bill that results in the declawing or devocalizing of an animal shall result in a civil penalty of not more than $1,000, per animal, to be paid to the person whose animal was declawed or devocalized in violation, or to an entity that is authorized to bring an action. This bill defines animal, application for occupancy, claw, declawing, devocalizing, and owner. This bill is substantially similar to the enrolled version of AB 2743 (Nava, 2010). In vetoing AB 2743, Governor Schwarzenegger stated, "This bill would prohibit a landlord from requiring a tenant, as a condition of rental occupancy, to have an animal 'declawed' or 'devoiced.' I support the goal of this bill, which would preclude landlords from making inappropriate medical decisions as a condition of occupancy. However, I cannot sign a measure that contains findings and declarations by the Legislature that are unsupported by science. In addition, this measure suggests that declawing should be prohibited for any 'non-therapeutic' reason, which would include the legitimate medical needs of a pet owner. Regrettably, this bill goes too far in attempting to deal with inappropriate demands by landlords." FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: No Local: No SUPPORT : (Verified 5/2/12) Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association (co-source) The Paw Project (co-source) Actors and Others for Animals Alley Cat Allies Animal Advocates CONTINUED SB 1229 Page 4 Best Friends Animal Society Born Free USA California Apartment Association California Veterinary Medical Association Cities of Berkeley, Santa Monica, and West Hollywood Contra Costa Humane Society Last Chance for Animals League of Humane Voters, California Chapter Marin County Human Society Nolan-Taft Management Ohlone Humane Society Paw PAC Pet Care Foundation Red Rover Social Compassion in Legislation Western Center on Law and Poverty OPPOSITION : (Verified 5/2/12) The Animal Council ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : The author writes, "There is an ongoing practice of some landlords conditioning occupancy of rental housing on the declawing of cats and/or the devocalizing of dogs. Many rental listings in California show a number of properties with landlords and managers that require potential tenants to declaw or devocalize their pets as a condition of tenancy. Declawing and devocalizing are permanent procedures and such procedures run counter to the temporary nature of rental occupancy." The Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association, a co-sponsor of this bill, writes, "SB 1229 will protect tenants from being forced to choose between securing housing for their families and subjecting their pets to unnecessary, costly and life-altering medical procedures. . . . SB 1229 is a common-sense measure that will ensure that important medical decisions about companion animals are not made in the context of rental agreements but rather in consultation with veterinary medical professionals and focused on the animals' health and well-being." ARGUMENTS IN OPPOSITION : The Animal Council argues: CONTINUED SB 1229 Page 5 We had opposed the 2010 version of SB 1229, AB 2743, which was vetoed by Governor Schwarzenegger, and we must again oppose this bill. These bills pose non-existent issues to de-legitimize, surreptitiously, elective veterinary procedure unrelated to any tenancies. In plain English - " declawing" cats and "debarking" dogs, that are otherwise lawful veterinary practice in California as determined through the veterinarian-client relationship in regard to an individual animal patient of the owner-client. The widely expanded wording of procedures beyond the usual species by using non-specific "animal" would be comical if not signaling future intent of others to seek outright prohibition. Otherwise, there is no reason to codify unrealistic terminology. As typically and selectively performed only selectively with small numbers of patients in limited circumstances, only de-barking of dogs would be a realistic occurrence in rental occupancies. Unlike cats that would only damage the premises for which the tenant would be liable for repairs, other tenants and outside neighbors hear dogs' noise and may be greatly disturbed. Such barking may or may not reach the threshold for legal action under local animal, noise or nuisance ordinance. Landlords have some legal liabilities in nuisances on their owned premises, so the prospect of legal enforcement arising from mention of de-barking creates a disincentive to offer or negotiate pet tenancies, particularly if tenants will not mitigate barking or dispose of the animal. We respectfully oppose this disingenuous bill as harmful to both pets, and tenants and as an initial step to eliminate these options for any pet owners to keep their pets anywhere. RJG:kc 5/3/12 Senate Floor Analyses SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE **** END **** CONTINUED SB 1229 Page 6 CONTINUED