Legislative Session Summary
2005

The following is a summary of the 2005 bills and their status at the end of the session.  Since this is the first year of the two year session, all bills are held over until next session.

SB 111 related to protection of canine establishments from ejection by surrounding property owners who acquired the property with knowledge of the existing establishment.  We supported introduction of the bill and it passed the Senate.  In the House, however, the Chairman of the House Civil Judiciary seized the bill and refused to take action because of his concerns about its impact on the state of nuisance law in Georgia.  Our bill was conceptually joined in many minds with more controversial bills related to property maintained and improved for the purpose of wildlife habitat and the hunting of wildlife (HB 261) and meat and poultry processing plants (SB 26).

HB 452 will allow a check-off on State income tax returns to make contributions to the Dog and Cat sterilization fund which is primarily supported by the dog and cat license plate.  The bill passed both houses and the check-off may appear as early as the 2005 tax return forms.

HB 78 provides that no person shall import, sell, transport, carry, own, keep, or otherwise possess any live pit bull dog, American Staffordshire Terrier dog or dog having the characteristics of those breeds in this state; it provides for exceptions; it provides that certain dogs shall be neutered and confined; it provides a penalty for violations.  The bill was introduced by Rep. Ernest "Coach" Williams who held a number of informal listing sessions on the bill.  The bill is assigned to the Non-Civil Judiciary Committee but was not given a subcommittee hearing.  We actively lobbied against and otherwise opposed this bill.

HB 201 was adopted and sent to the Governor.  The bill defines the charges for which a licensed veterinarian may obtain a lien on animals they care for but does not change current law as to liens by facilities for boarding animals or pets.

HB 734 and SB 229 are identical, loosely worded bills ostensibly aimed at increasing the scope of the crime of dog fighting.  The bills can have much wider application and we have asked the chairman of each Agriculture Committee to take no action on the bills.  No action has been taken during this session.

HB 735 ansd SB 228 expand the terms on which an apparently abused animal may be impounded by animal control officers or peace officers.  These bills come from the same source as HB 734 and SB 229 and are also being held in committee without action this year.

HB 249 would change the penalty for animal shelters, animal control agencies asnd animal refuges which fail to spay or neuter dogs and cats as currently required.  Current law makes the failure a misdemeanor; the proposal would impose a civil penalty of $200.00.  There was no committee action on the bill this year.