Current Legislation

2011-2012 Massachusetts Legislative Session

To get ongoing updates, join our Facebook page and Animal Action Team.  Find out who represents you at www.wheredoivotema.com and more about the legislative process here.  There were 5,366 bills filed at the beginning of this session and hundreds that relate to animals. You can also read about pending federal legislation.

 Bills we support:

 S.2192 (was S. 2184 and S. 1033):  An Act to Update the Municipal Animal Control Laws
Currently, there are numerous problems with the outdated statutes that impact animal control programs in our 351 cities and towns, leaving both the public and animals unprotected in many ways. This bill would strengthen the dangerous dog law, improve the spay/neuter law for shelters, ensure animal control officers receive training, update kennel definitions, prevent inhumane methods of euthanasia and save cities and towns money by reducing the numbers of homeless animals under their care.  These are just a few of the components of this bill that has been drafted by a coalition that includes the MSPCA, the Animal Rescue League of Boston, the Animal Control Officers Association of Massachusetts (ACOAM), the state’s Bureau of Animal Health, and the Massachusetts Veterinary Medical Association (MVMA) and is supported by MassFed. An amendment on the Senate floor added the provisions of S. 682 (below).

  • Sponsor:  Senator Jehlen
  • Status: Passed the Senate on March 22, 2012
  • Read More


S. 682:  An Act to Relating to Domestic Violence and Animals
The research documenting the link between animal abuse and violence toward humans is increasing. Following similar laws in seventeen other states, this bill would specifically permit the inclusion of pets in abuse prevention orders. Concern for what will happen to a pet at times prevents victims from leaving a violent situation. By ensuring that a pet is safe, this bill helps remove that barrier.   

  • Sponsor:  Senator Clark
  • Status: hearing held; in the Judiciary Committee
  • Read More

 S. 1041: An Act Establishing a Massachusetts Cat and Dog Spay/Neuter Fund
This bill would create a voluntary tax check-off on state income tax forms, the funds from which would assist persons meeting income limit standards with sterilizing and vaccinating dogs and cats and also would be used to educate the public about the benefits of spaying and neutering.  Reducing the number of homeless animals is good for everyone; it saves our municipalities costs associated with housing and caring for these animals. 

  • Sponsor:  Senator Montigny
  • Status:  hearing held; received a study order from the Municipalities and Regional Government Committee, but proposed as an amendment to the animal control bill 
  • Read More


H. 2326:  An Act to Ensure Adequate Care of Animals In Cities and Towns
This bill would clarify the already existing parameters of the Massachusetts’ animal cruelty laws. It would explain, rather than expand, the current law to distinguish the more egregious cases where it is objectively obvious that veterinary care is necessary to relieve an animal’s unnecessary suffering.

  • Sponsor:  Representative Kafka
  • Status:  Passed the House on May 17, 2012 
  • Read More

 

H. 2886:  An Act Regulating the Sale of Dogs
This bill would prevent the sale of puppies under 8 weeks old.

  • Sponsor:  Representative Coakley-Rivera
  • Status:  hearing held; received a favorable report from the Municipalities and Regional Government Committee on March 7, 2012  
  • Read more


S. 330, H. 1992:  An Act Enhancing the Management of Problem Wildlife   
Last session saw a lot of activity around the issue of beaver trapping. There is one point that everyone agreed on: that more data on trapped animals is needed.  This bill would require a person who was granted a permit by a local, state, or federal health official, or by the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (under M.G.L Ch. 131 § 80A) to report to the Director of Fisheries and Wildlife within thirty days of the permit’s expiration. The intention of the bill is to track the numbers of beavers and other animals that are caught by trappers to better determine the statewide populations of those animals. There is also a desire to monitor the number of complaints about such species, the locations of such complaints, and the methods chosen to remedy them. The MSPCA believes that this is important and supports the effort to gather this data.

  • Sponsors:  Senator Brewer, Representative Gobi
  • Status:   Hearing was March 14, 2011; parts were incorporated into H. 3315 (which, despite this provision, is overall a harmful bill.  See below for more information).


H. 422:  An Act Requiring the Posting of Security for the Seizure and Impoundment of Animals
This bill would make a few, mostly technical, changes to the statute that passed in 2002 regarding the seizure of animals in connection with cruelty investigations. The law now allows an authority that seizes an animal pursuant to applicable Massachusetts law for alleged cruelty or neglect to request the court to order a refundable security/bond to cover the costs of caring for the animal during the period of time the animal is held until the case is adjudicated.  Law enforcement officials must hold seized animals as evidence and thus the animals cannot be adopted or returned to an owner until the case has been adjudicated.  However, animals are different than other seized property; animals must receive food, water, board, and often-extensive medical care from the authority that took possession of them as part of the arrest or seizure.  Since the law passed in 2002, there have been mixed results with the effectiveness of the law. The changes in this bill are designed to address those issues that have arisen in practice and have limited the effectiveness of this law. Additionally, since animal cruelty became a felony in 2004, some of the language is now outdated and would be fixed with this bill. 

 

S. 1706:  Relating to the Treatment of Elephants
This bill would prohibit any person who houses, possesses or travels with elephants utilized in traveling shows from using any implement that would result in physical harm or from keeping the elephants constantly restrained by chain or similar device.  For example, the bullhook (or ankus) which is a club made of wood, metal, or other substantial material, with a sharp steel hook and metal poker at one end is commonly used to train an elephant.

  • Sponsor:  Senator Hedlund
  • Status: Received Study Order from the Tourism Committee on March 16, 2012
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H. 270: An Act Relative to Hunting or Trapping on Private Land
The burden is currently placed on property owners to post a sign if they do not want hunters to come on their property. This bill shifts the burden, so that hunters must get written permission before they engage in these activities on private property. 

  • Sponsor:  Representative Martin Walsh
  • Status:   received a study order from the Environment, Natural Resources & Agriculture Committee  
  • Read More

 

H. 458, S. 786 : An Act Prohibiting the Cruel Confinement of Certain Farm Animals
Most farm animals are raised in intense confinement systems that thwart most, if not all, of their natural behaviors.  This bill would prohibit the confinement of farm animals in a manner that does not allow them to turn around freely, lie down, stand up, and fully extend their limbs; that means that standard veal crates, gestation crates for pregnant pigs, and battery cages for hens would not be allowed in the Commonwealth.

  • Sponsors: Representative Lewis, Senator Hedlund
  • Status: hearing held; in Judiciary Committee
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 H. 942:  An Act Relating to Regulating the Display of Red and Blue Flashing, Rotating or Oscillating Lights 
This bill would grant officers of the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and officers of the Animal Rescue League of Boston, who are commissioned as special state police officers, the authority to utilize emergency flashing lights on their vehicles. Officers of these agencies are mandatory EMS providers and have administered emergency first aid to victims of motor vehicle accidents. While administering aid they currently do not have any warning lights that would ensure both officer and victim safety.  

  • Sponsor: Representative Reinstein
  • Status:  hearing held; received a favorable report from the Transportation Committee    

S. 88:  An Act Relative to Anti-freeze and Engine Coolant
This bill would require the addition of a bittering agent to wholesale containers of engine coolant or anti-freeze, which were exempted in the law that passed during the last legislative session. 

  • Sponsor:  Senator Brewer
  • Status: received an "ought to pass" from Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure.  Now in Senate Ethics and Rules.
  • Read More

  S. 107:  An Act Relative to Greyhound Simulcasting
Would end the simulcasting of greyhound races in Mass.

  • Sponsor:  Senator Jehlen
  • Status:  received a study order from the Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure

 H.2054: An Act concerning the use of certain insurance underwriting guidelines pertaining to dogs harbored upon the insured property
Would prohibit Massachusetts homeowners insurance companies from discriminating or charging higher premiums for coverage based on breeds of dog.

  • Sponsor: Representative Gobi
  • Status: hearing held; received study order from Joint Committee on Financial Services
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H.2809: An Act prohibiting the prolonged confinement of dogs outside
This bill would limit the tethering/chaining of dogs to stationary objects to 8 hours per day (not between 11pm and 7am), prohibit tethering puppies, set standards for tethers and other forms of confinement, and prohibit certain chaining conditions deemed cruel and inhumane.   

 

 Bills we oppose:

H. 3120: An Act Relative to Beavers  
This bill would strike the entire Wildlife Protection Act (Ch. 131 sec. 80A) and would repeal all the restrictions on body-gripping traps.

  • Sponsor: Representative Frost
  • Status: Hearing was held March 14, 2011 in the Environment, Natural Resources & Agriculture Committee; is now technically combined with H. 3315 (below).


  H.3315 (formerly H. 2001): An Act Valuing Our Natural Resources
This bill would amend portions of the Wildlife Protection Act (Ch. 131 sec. 80A) to allow the state's Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, or its agents, to use restricted body-gripping traps for management of furbearing wildlife during their established seasons (currently, only box/cage traps are allowed for furbearers during the trapping season).  

  H. 1140: An Act Assessing Our Natural Resources  
This bill would strike a portion of the Wildlife Protection Act (Ch. 131 sec. 80A) to allow the state's Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, or its agents, to use restricted body-gripping traps for wildlife research activities.

  • Sponsor: Representative Kulik
  • Status: Hearing was held March 14, 2011 in the Environment, Natural Resources & Agriculture Committee; is now technically combined with H. 3315 (above).

 H. 245: An Act Concerning The Trapping Of Fur-Bearing Mammals  
Requires fur trappers follow "best management practices" (BMPs) approved by the Association of Fish & Wildlife, which include the use of body-gripping traps and snares, and allows trappers to possess equipment recommended in the BMPs.

  • Sponsor: Representative Nangle
  • Status: Hearing was held March 14, 2011 in the Environment, Natural Resources & Agriculture Committee; is now technically combined with H. 3315 (above).

  H. 1822: Proposal to Amend the Constitution Excluding All Matters Relating to Fisheries and Wildlife  
Would amend the Massachusetts Constitution to prohibit the use of the initiative petition to permit, regulate, or prohibit the taking of, transportation of, or to prescribe seasons or methods for the taking of fish or wildlife.

 H. 1997: An Act to Provide for the Statewide Conservation of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
Would give the state's Division of Fisheries and Wildlife exclusive authority over wildlife matters, prohibiting municipalities from restricting trapping/hunting regulations within their own borders without approval from the Division.

  • Sponsor: Representative Gobi
  • Status: received a study order from the Environment, Natural Resources & Agriculture Committee  

 

 H. 3352: An Act Relative to Beaver Dam Emergencies
Would transfer authority for emergency permit decisions from local agencies to the state's Division of Fisheries and Wildlife.

  • Sponsor: Representative McMurtry
  • Status: hearing held; received study order from the Environment, Natural Resources & Agriculture Committee   


     H. 1994, H. 3119: An Act Expanding the Powers of the Director of Wildlife and Fisheries
    This bill would give additional authority to the state's Division of Fisheries and Wildlife and allow them to permit hunting on Sundays.  

    • Sponsors: Representative Gobi and Representative Frost
    • Status: hearing held; H.1994 (now H.3946) received a favorable report from the Environment, Natural Resources & Agriculture Committee on Feb.7, 2012 and is now in House Ways & Means;  H.3119 received a study order  
    • Read More

     H. 2399: An Act to Allow Hunting on Sunday Within the Commonwealth
    This bill would allow hunting on Sundays in December.

    • Sponsor: Representative Gobi
    • Status: hearing held; received a study order from the Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security
    • Read More

     

     H. 1996: An An Act Relative to the Moose Population in the Commonwealth
    This bill would allow for a moose hunting season in Massachusetts.

    • Sponsor: Representative Gobi
    • Status: received a favorable report from the Environment, Natural Resources & Agriculture Committee   
    • Read More

     

      H. 257: An Act Relative to the Hunting of Bear
    This bill would strike a portion of the Wildlife Protection Act to allow hounding and baiting of bear.

    • Sponsor: Representative Smola
    • Status: hearing held;received a study order from the Environment, Natural Resources & Agriculture Committee