BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 272
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CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS
AB 272 (Gomez)
As Amended August 20, 2013
Majority vote
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|ASSEMBLY: |76-0 |(April 25, |SENATE: |38-0 |(September 3, |
| | |2013) | | |2013) |
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Original Committee Reference: AGRI.
SUMMARY : Changes, from four months to three months, the age at
which a dog is required to be vaccinated against rabies. This bill
also makes technical changes.
The Senate amendments clarify that canine rabies vaccination must be
administered after a dog is three months old or older and is
administered according to the vaccine label.
EXISTING LAW requires every dog owner to, once the dog is older than
four months, obtain a dog license from the responsible local
government at least every two years, and obtain a rabies vaccination
every year. Allows fines up to $1,000 for violating various
requirements related to rabies, including not vaccinating a dog
against rabies.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Senate Appropriations Committee,
pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8, there are no significant costs
associated with this legislation.
COMMENTS : Rabies is a viral disease that affects the central
nervous system and causes acute inflammation of the brain. Rabies
is almost always fatal if treatment is not administered prior to the
onset of severe symptoms. In California, most cases of rabies occur
in skunks and bats; however, any mammal, including human, can
contract rabies. Domestic animals account for 3% of animal rabies,
and the rest occurs in wild animals. Rabies prevention programs,
including vaccinations, in the United States have reduced
laboratory-confirmed cases of rabies in dogs from 6,949 in 1947 to
93 in 2009.
According to the author, the four month age for vaccination is out
of step with current federal rules, other states, and existing
vaccine labels. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention's
AB 272
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2011 Compendium of Animal Rabies Prevention and Control (Compendium)
lists 14 rabies vaccinations for dogs licensed by the federal
government. The minimum age for all rabies vaccination for dogs is
three months. California is the only state that sets a minimum age
of four months for dog rabies vaccination. Other states use the
Compendium guidelines, the United State Department of Agricultural
rules, or vaccination label requirements to determine the minimum
age. By allowing California veterinarians to vaccinate at three
months, supporters state that this will lessen the chance of
over-vaccination of young dogs coming into California.
Opponents state that this bill is unneeded as California has a low
rate of rabies in domestic animals, with three cases of rabies in
dogs reported since 2007. Opponents worry that adding another
vaccination into the three vaccinations already required at three
months (distemper, hepatitis, parvo) will increase the chance of
adverse side effects from the vaccinations.
Analysis Prepared by : Victor Francovich / AGRI. / (916) 319-2084
FN: 0001807