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April 11, 2023

AB 332 Unanimously Passes Assembly Business & Professions Committee


Tuesday, April 11, 2023 - Today, AB 332, the Shelter Animal Data Collection Act, authored by Assembly Member Alex Lee (D-San Jose) and sponsored by Social Compassion in Legislation (SCIL), passed the Assembly Business and Professions Committee with a unanimous vote. AB 332 will require the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) to restore the collection of in-take and outcome data, including vaccination, adoption, and euthanasia figures from municipal animal shelters and make publicly available.


“I’m grateful for the committee’s passage of our bill AB 332 which will help direct funding more efficiently to shelters and support informed policy decisions to help pets find their forever homes,” said Assemblymember Alex Lee.


"It is clear that the committee supports the need for transparency from our taxpayer funded animal shelters in order to understand the specific needs of our diverse communities. We have been working for decades to mitigate the state's pet overpopulation crisis, but we will never get there without this critical information," said Judie Mancuso, founder/president, Social Compassion in Legislation, sponsor of the bill.


In 2015, SCIL led an effort to make the official state pet the ‘Shelter Pet’, which was chaptered into state law. AB 332 will help provide important data about shelter animals so that resources are better optimized to find more dogs and cats their forever homes.


The state, local jurisdictions, and nonprofits invest hundreds of millions of dollars in our shelter system to save animals’ lives. Yet the data these entities rely on to direct these resources is no longer available. This transparency will ensure that the state and other entities are able to direct funding efficiently to shelters with the greatest need, while also giving policymakers a more complete picture of the pet overpopulation problem to make informed policy decisions.


From 1995 through 2016, CDPH requested a variety of data from city and county animal shelters as part of its annual rabies control activities reporting and was posted on their website. The data was useful to advocates and policymakers, who used the information to identify regions of the state where certain program support was needed to reduce euthanasia rates and other adverse outcomes for animals in shelters and was particularly valuable for prioritizing funding.


However, not only did CDPH arbitrarily reduce the categories of data it collected from public animal shelters beginning in 2017, excluding the most important information pertaining to animals received and discharged, this year it has removed the reports completely from their website. CDPH on their own volition has gone completely opaque from their once transparent approach.


The intent of this bill is to restore the collection of the data. This would include information specifically relating to dog and cats taken in stray or relinquished by owner, discharged by local animal control authorities, including, but not limited to, number reclaimed by owner, adopted by the public or a rescue organization, euthanized, died, or transferred to another shelter.


By pinpointing geographically where the highest need and overpopulation exists, local and state policymakers will have a tool to help guide existing resources. The bill will now be heard in Assembly Appropriations Committee.

AB 595 being heard in front of Assembly Business & Professions Committee. SCIL's Director of Legislative Affairs, Nickolaus Sackett, testifying in support of AB 595 and SB 89. Witness: Amber Lancaster and Assemblyman Bill Essayli.

Updates of Bills SCIL is Supporting

and Actively Lobbying


AB 595 (Essalyi), requires shelters to put all dogs and cats on a "redlist" on their website for at least 72 hours before euthanizing the animal with some exceptions. AB 595 passed the Assembly Business and Professions Committee with a unanimous vote.


“Today is a huge victory for Bowie’s Law to save adoptable pets from unnecessary euthanasia! AB 595 passed unanimously out of committee and now moves to the Appropriations Committee. Every adoptable pet deserves the opportunity to find a loving home and Bowie’s Law will help make this a reality," said Assemblyman Bill Essayli, District 63, author of the bill.


"As California’s animal shelters continue to remain full of adoptable animals, the need for predictable, systematic communication between the shelters and the public, including rescue organizations, is imperative. California’s animal shelters are the hub of our state’s robust dog and cat rescue community," said Nickolaus Sackett, Director of Legislative Affairs of Social Compassion in Legislation. "We know that the devil is in the details, but we believe that the bill, with today’s amendments, is a workable solution to better communications between shelters and the public and rescue community, and will help save more animals’ lives."


SB 371 (Ochoa Bogh), a bill to authorize a nonprofit to contract with a county to adopt undomesticated burros.

SB 371 passed the Senate Natural Resources Committee with a unanimous vote.


SB 89 (Ochoa Bogh), a bill which will make a person guilty of stalking if the person engages in conduct that either places another person in reasonable fear of death or serious bodily injury to themselves, a close family member, or a pet, service animal, emotional support animal, or horse that belongs to that person. SB 89 passed the Senate Public Safety Committee with a unanimous vote.


And please remember, if you'd like to support our SCIL sponsored bills and the others we are supporting, please follow the instructions below on how to sign onto a support letter. These unanimous votes do not happen on their own!

REMINDER!


We Need Your Voice!



Instructions on How to Sign a Support Letter:


Now is the time for you to engage and have your voices heard! Hearings will be coming up soon, and we must start gathering support letters ASAP!


To send your support letter for all of our sponsored bills. It's easy - following the steps below.  


Please click on our 'How-to-Help' page, then:

 

  • Choose the button on whether you are sending as an Individual, Group, or Both.
  • Then, click on the bills you want to support, or click the box "All Bills Option" to support them all. The bills you click to support will have a red box around them. Then click the "Next" button at the bottom of the page.
  • Fill in your information
  • Click "Send Support" !


We then produce your letter(s) and ensure they are received by the correct legislators and committees.


***Remember, if you are an organization, you must follow the instructions to register for an organization. The committees have requirements we must fulfill in order to get your support registered in the committee analysis, which is very important.


Alternatively, organizations can send their letter which must be on letterhead and signed as a pdf to info@socialcompassion.org

If you appreciate and support what we do, please donate today. Our group exist on your donations alone. Please give today!


Thank you so much,

Judie Mancuso, founder/CEO/president

Social Compassion in Legislation

PLEASE DONATE NOW
Social Compassion in Legislation
info@socialcompassioninlegislation.org
www.socialcompassioninlegislation.org
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