BILL ANALYSIS Ó AB 2505 Page 1 Date of Hearing: April 13, 2016 ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS Lorena Gonzalez, Chair AB 2505 (Quirk) - As Introduced February 19, 2016 ----------------------------------------------------------------- |Policy |Public Safety |Vote:|7 - 0 | |Committee: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |-------------+-------------------------------+-----+-------------| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: YesReimbursable: No SUMMARY: This bill prohibits the use of carbon dioxide to euthanize an animal. FISCAL EFFECT: This bill creates a new misdemeanor. Local costs for AB 2505 Page 2 incarceration are nonreimbursable, but are offset to a degree by fee revenue. COMMENTS: 1)Background. Current law, prohibits the killing of any animal by using: a) carbon monoxide gas, or b) an intracardiac injection of a euthanasia agent on a conscious animal, unless the animal is heavily sedated or anesthetized in a humane manner, or comatose, or unless, in light of all the relevant circumstances, the procedure is justifiable. Furthermore, with respect to the killing of any dog or cat, no person, peace officer, officer of a humane society, or officer of a pound or animal regulation department of a public agency is also prohibited from using: a) high-altitude decompression chamber, or b) nitrogen gas. 2)Purpose. According to the author, "The use of carbon dioxide (CO2) to euthanize dogs and cats is cost prohibitive, inhumane, dangerous, and unnecessary. However, due to a loophole in existing law, it is still legal to continue this practice. AB 2505 will close the loophole in current law and prohibit the use of CO2 when euthanizing dogs and cats in California. 3)Support: According to The Humane Society of the United States, "AB 2505 is necessary to close that loophole and ensure no one in California uses carbon dioxide to kill dogs and cats. "Recent evidence suggests that carbon dioxide causes even more pain and distress than carbon monoxide; humans describe the effects of carbon dioxide exposure as excruciating. In fact, carbon dioxide exposure is so painful and distressing that starving laboratory animals will actually forgo food when offered in a chamber containing the gas." 4)Prior Legislation: AB 1426 (Liu), Chapter 652, Statutes of 2006, prohibited the AB 2505 Page 3 killing any animal by means of an intracardiac injection of a euthanasia agent on a conscious animal, unless the animal is heavily sedated or anesthetized in a humane manner, or comatose, or unless, in light of all the relevant circumstances, the procedure is justifiable. Analysis Prepared by:Pedro Reyes / APPR. / (916) 319-2081