BILL ANALYSIS Ó
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 272|
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THIRD READING
Bill No: AB 272
Author: Gomez (D), et al.
Amended: 8/20/13 in Senate
Vote: 21
SENATE HEALTH COMMITTEE : 9-0, 6/26/13
AYES: Hernandez, Anderson, Beall, De León, DeSaulnier, Monning,
Nielsen, Pavley, Wolk
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : Senate Rule 28.8
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 76-0, 4/25/13 (Consent) - See last page for
vote
SUBJECT : Rabies: vaccinations
SOURCE : Health Officers Association of California
DIGEST : This bill requires dog owners, after a dog reaches
the age of three months, rather than after the age of four
months, to have their dog vaccinated against rabies at one year
intervals, as specified.
ANALYSIS :
Existing law:
1.Requires dog owners, after his/her dog attains the age of four
months, to procure its vaccination by a licensed veterinarian
with canine anti-rabies, on an annual basis, as specified.
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2.Requires a request for an exemption from these requirements to
be submitted on an approved form developed by Department of
Public Health (DPH) and to include a signed statement by the
veterinarian explaining the inadvisability of the vaccination
and a signed statement by the dog owner affirming that the
owner understands the consequences and accepts all liability
associated with owning a dog that has not received the canine
anti-rabies vaccine.
3.Requires the request to be submitted to the local health
officer (LHO), who is permitted to issue an exemption from the
canine anti-rabies vaccine. Requires the LHO to report
exemptions issued pursuant to this subdivision to DPH.
4.Requires a dog that is exempt from the vaccination
requirements to be considered unvaccinated and to be confined
to the premises of the owner, keeper, or harborer and, when
off the premises, be on a leash, as specified, and under the
direct physical control of an adult.
This bill requires dog owners, after his/her dog is three months
or older, to have the dog vaccinated against rabies at one year
intervals, as specified.
Background
Dogs from out of state . According to DPH, for purposes of
licensure, current California law states that a dog must have
been vaccinated after it reaches the age of four months with a
vaccine DPH-approved. Vaccination earlier than four months
and/or with a vaccine not on the Centers for Disease Control's
approved list would not fulfill this requirement and the dog
could not be licensed until that deficiency was rectified.
According to DPH, current interpretation of the Health and
Safety Code is that the vaccination must occur after four months
of age; regulations (Title 17 of the California Code of
Regulations. Division 1, Chapter 4, Subchapter 1. Reportable
Diseases and Conditions, Article 3, Sec. 2606.4) state, in part:
" Vaccination of Dogs Against Rabies . Dogs shall be
considered to be properly vaccinated for the purposes of
Section 1920, California Health and Safety Code, when
injected at four months of age or older with an approved
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canine rabies vaccine and revaccinated (as specified)."
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: Yes
SUPPORT : (Verified 8/20/13)
Health Officers Association of California (source)
American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees,
AFL-CIO
California Animal Control Directors Association
California Veterinary Medical Association
Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors
San Francisco SPCA
Santa Cruz SPCA
State Humane Association of California
OPPOSITION : (Verified 8/20/13)
Alaskan Malamute Club of America
California Federation of Dog Clubs
California Miniature Schnauzer Rescue
Sacramento Council of Dog Clubs
The Animal Council
The Rabies Challenge Fund
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : The County of Los Angeles states that
young dogs that were vaccinated at three months in other states,
as required by those jurisdictions, are currently required to be
revaccinated when brought to California. Supporters state that
by allowing California veterinarians to vaccinate at three
months, this bill will lessen the chance of over-vaccination of
young dogs coming into California and will align California
rabies law with the rest of the nation and offer protection
against rabies to more dogs. The State Humane Association of
California states that earlier vaccination enables puppies that
come from other states prior to four months to avoid quarantine.
ARGUMENTS IN OPPOSITION : Opponents, writing in response to a
previous version of this bill, state that early-age vaccination
is often ineffective due to the interference of maternal
antibodies, which would mean that a large percentage of young
dogs in the community would be presumed immune to rabies after
an ineffective early-age vaccination, when in fact they are not
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immune and could acquire and transfer rabies to humans. Others
state that adding a rabies vaccine to the other vaccinations
(distemper, hepatitis, parvo) will not only increase the
likelihood of adverse reactions, but also the probability that
the vaccine components will interfere with each other and
neutralize the desired immunological response.
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 76-0, 4/25/13
AYES: Achadjian, Alejo, Allen, Ammiano, Atkins, Bigelow, Bloom,
Blumenfield, Bocanegra, Bonilla, Bonta, Bradford, Brown,
Buchanan, Ian Calderon, Campos, Chau, Chávez, Chesbro, Conway,
Dahle, Daly, Dickinson, Donnelly, Eggman, Fong, Fox, Frazier,
Beth Gaines, Garcia, Gatto, Gomez, Gordon, Gorell, Gray,
Grove, Hagman, Hall, Harkey, Roger Hernández, Holden, Jones,
Jones-Sawyer, Levine, Linder, Logue, Maienschein, Mansoor,
Medina, Melendez, Mitchell, Morrell, Mullin, Muratsuchi,
Nestande, Olsen, Pan, Patterson, Perea, V. Manuel Pérez,
Quirk, Quirk-Silva, Rendon, Salas, Skinner, Stone, Ting,
Torres, Wagner, Waldron, Weber, Wieckowski, Wilk, Williams,
Yamada, John A. Pérez
NO VOTE RECORDED: Cooley, Lowenthal, Nazarian, Vacancy
JL:ej 8/20/13 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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