Please join us Monday, July 24, at 10am for a hearing before the Joint Committee on Tourism, Arts and Cultural Development for S. 2197/S. 2189/H. 3245, An Act relative to the use of elephants, big cats, primates, giraffes, and bears in traveling exhibits and shows. Learn more about this legislation.
Can’t join us? You can still take action by contacting your state senator and state representative and asking them to support these bills, especially if they sit on the Tourism Committee. Learn who your State Senator and State Representative are here. If your legislators are already co-sponsors (scroll to bottom to check) you can thank them for their support!
Below are details about the hearing, tips for testimony, and information about the Committee and co-sponsors. Please let us know if you plan to testify and we can help coordinate!
Hearing Information
- The hearing is on Monday, July 24, 2023 at 10am in room A-1 at the State House in Boston. View the hearing notice.
- If you want to testify, please sign up with the Committee by July 21 at 10am.
- You can testify in person or remotely. If you choose remote, you will receive an email with details on how to do that after you sign up.
- The traveling act bills are the only ones being heard on this day, which means you will not have to wait around for your issue to come up.
- Following is information from the Committee’s official hearing notice:
The Joint Committee on Tourism, Arts and Cultural Development is holding a public bill hearing on July 24th at 10am. Both in-person and virtual testimony will be heard at the discretion of the chairs.
The purpose of this meeting is to provide interested members of the public an opportunity to provide input to the Committee on the following pieces of legislation related to Traveling animal shows as they pertain to the Tourism, Arts and Cultural sectors.
To submit written testimony, please email testimony to Derek.Dunlea@mahouse.gov and Gabrielle.Hanson@masenate.gov with the subject line “Written Testimony – TACD 7/24/23”.
To provide oral testimony, please fill out this form https://forms.office.com/g/iKyTzUCYAh by 10am on July 21st. Please be advised that the schedule and agenda are subject to change at the discretion of the Chairs.
If you have any questions or concerns about this hearing you may contact Derek Dunlea or Gabrielle Hanson at Derek.Dunlea@mahouse.gov and Gabrielle.Hanson@masenate.gov
What Should I Expect?
Hearings generally start with testimony from legislators, likely the bill sponsor/co-sponsors (legislators will be taken out of turn during the hearing, too). The Committee Chairs will then call the names of people who have signed up.
You will be speaking to members of the Tourism Committee. The Tourism Committee members are online; check the list to see if your legislator(s) are on the Committee. If they are, that means your voice is all the more important! Be sure to let them know that you are a constituent at the start of your testimony. (If you’re not sure who your State Senator and State Representative are, you can look them up here.
What Should I Say?
When providing testimony, whether oral or written, it’s usually best to tell your unique story. For example, you could talk about why these bills matter to you and how it affects the animals you care about. This also helps you avoid repeating what others have already said.
Each person has THREE (3) MINUTES to testify, and it is very important to stay within that time limit.
You will be able to testify on all three traveling acts bills—S. 2197/S. 2189/H. 3245—at the same time because they are identical. Committee members may ask you a question during or after your testimony; if you don’t know the answer, it’s perfectly fine to say so and that you’ll get back to them. Let us know if you need help finding the answer! Learn more about testifying.
If you cannot make the hearing, you can submit written testimony by emailing it to Derek.Dunlea@mahouse.gov and Gabrielle.Hanson@masenate.gov with the subject line “Written Testimony – TACD 7/24/23”. Written testimony can be submitted for up to two weeks after the hearing.
What else can I do to prepare?
How do I get there?
If you are coming to the hearing in person, please allow time for traffic, parking, and going through security. See here for a map and directions to the State House. The least expensive parking option is the garage underneath Boston Common (see map and rates). Please be aware that parking at the Boston Common requires walking several blocks uphill to the State House.
To get to the hearing room, please note that the Ashburton Entrance (entrance closest to the hearing room) is closed, so you will need to use the General Hooker Entrance. Walk past the statue of General Hooker (he’s on a horse) up the stairs and through security. There is an accessible entrance on Bowdoin Street. When you go through security, let them know you’re looking for room A-1 and they will point you in the right direction.
What else can I do?
Share information about the hearing and issue on social media with these images.
Questions
If you have any questions, send us an email or call: advocacy@mspca.org or 617-541-5104.