AB-631 • 2026

Animals: animal shelters: transparency.

Education

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Lee
Last action: 2025-08-29
Official status: In committee: Held under submission.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and digest text do not provide specific details on penalties for non-compliance or exact costs, leaving these points as limits and unknowns.

Animal Shelters Must Share Information

This law requires animal shelters to keep and share information about animals they take in, where those animals come from, and what happens to them.

What This Bill Does

Requires animal shelters to record the number of animals taken in, their source, and outcomes for each animal.
Updates this information at least once every three months.
Makes this information available on the shelter's website if they have one.
Allows people to request this information from shelters without websites.

Who It Names or Affects

Animal shelters
People who want to know about animals in shelters

Terms To Know

State-mandated local program: A program or service that the state requires local agencies to provide.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify what happens if shelters do not follow these rules.
It is unclear how much it will cost animal shelters to comply with this law.

Bill History

2025-08-29 California Legislative Information
In committee: Held under submission.
2025-08-18 California Legislative Information
In committee: Referred to suspense file.
2025-07-14 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 11. Noes 0.) (July 14). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2025-07-09 California Legislative Information
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on B. P. & E.D.
2025-06-09 California Legislative Information
In committee: Set, first hearing. Testimony taken. Further hearing to be set.
2025-05-28 California Legislative Information
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on B. P. & E.D.
2025-05-07 California Legislative Information
Referred to Com. on B. P. & E.D.
2025-04-29 California Legislative Information
In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.
2025-04-28 California Legislative Information
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 72. Noes 0. Page 1318.)
2025-04-24 California Legislative Information
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2025-04-23 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (April 23).
2025-04-03 California Legislative Information
Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2025-04-02 California Legislative Information
Read second time and amended.
2025-04-01 California Legislative Information
From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 17. Noes 0.) (April 1).
2025-03-03 California Legislative Information
Referred to Com. on B. & P.
2025-02-14 California Legislative Information
From printer. May be heard in committee March 16.
2025-02-13 California Legislative Information
Read first time. To print.

Official Summary Text

AB 631, as amended, Lee.
Animals: animal shelters: transparency.
Existing law requires all public and private animal shelters to keep accurate records on each animal taken up, medically treated, or impounded, as specified.
This bill would require animal shelters, as defined, to collect and record the number of animals taken in, the source of intake, and the outcomes for all animals, as specified. The bill would require this information to be updated at least once per quarter. The bill would require animal shelters with internet websites to post this information on their internet websites and would require that this information remain publicly accessible for at least 5 years. The bill would require animal shelters that do not have internet websites to make this information publicly available, upon request, for at least 5 years.
To the extent that this bill would
impose a new program or higher level of service on public animal control agencies or shelters, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

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