RELEASE OF FERAL CATS

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Release of Feral Cats

This act allows people to release vaccinated, spayed or neutered feral cats back onto land from which they were originally taken, with the permission of the landowner.

What This Bill Does

• Allows a person to release a community cat on land where it was first found if the landowner agrees.
• Exempts people who release community cats from state and municipal requirements applicable to ownership and care of domestic animals.
• Defines 'community cat' as a feral cat that has been vaccinated for rabies, spayed or neutered, and had its left ear tip removed.
• Includes state, municipal, and private landowners in the definition of 'landowner'.
• Adds an exception to existing laws so they do not apply when releasing community cats.

Who It Names or Affects

• People who want to release feral cats back into their original environment.
• Landowners whose property may be used for releasing feral cats.
• State and municipal agencies responsible for animal welfare rules.

Terms To Know

community cat

A vaccinated, spayed or neutered feral cat with its left ear tip removed.

feral cat

An unowned domestic cat living in a wild state and not socialized for human environments.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify what happens if the landowner does not give permission.
• It is unclear how this act will be enforced or monitored by local authorities.
• There are no details on penalties for non-compliance with the new rules.

Official Summary Text

RELEASE OF FERAL CATS
An Act relating to feral cats.

Current Bill Text

HB0348a -1- HB 348
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]

34-LS1390\N

HOUSE BILL NO. 348

IN THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA

THIRTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE - SECOND SESSION

BY REPRESENTATIVE SCHRAGE

Introduced: 2/23/26
Referred: Community and Regional Affairs, Resources

A BILL

FOR AN ACT ENTITLED

"An Act relating to feral cats." 1
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 2
* Section 1. AS 03.55 is amended by adding new sections to read: 3
Article 1A. Cats. 4
Sec. 03.55.080. Feral cats. (a) Subject to the approval of the landowner, a 5
person may release a community cat on land from which the cat was originally taken. 6
(b) A person who releases a community cat under this section is exempt from 7
state and municipal requirements applicable to ownership and care of domestic 8
animals and the release of a community cat under (a) of this section does not constitute 9
abandonment. 10
Sec. 03.55.095. Definitions. In AS 03.55.080 - 03.55.095, 11
(1) "community cat" means a feral cat that has been vaccinated for 12
rabies, has had its left ear tip removed, and has been spayed or neutered; 13
(2) "feral cat" means an unowned domestic cat living in a wild state 14
that is unsocialized for domestic human environments; 15
34-LS1390\N
HB 348 -2- HB0348a
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]

(3) "landowner" includes state, municipal, and private landowners. 1
* Sec. 2. AS 16.05.930 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 2
(h) This chapter does not prohibit the release of a community cat as allowed 3
under AS 03.55.080. 4