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House of Representatives
HB5283 / File No. 59 1
General Assembly File No. 59
February Session, 2026 House Bill No. 5283
House of Representatives, March 18, 2026
The Committee on Planning and Development reported
through REP. KAVROS DEGRAW of the 17th Dist.,
Chairperson of the Committee on the part of the House, that the
bill ought to pass.
AN ACT AUTHORIZING MUNICIPALITIES TO PROHIBIT THE SALE
OF DOGS, CATS AND RABBITS IN PET SHOPS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Subparagraph (D) of subdivision (7) of subsection (c) of 1
section 7 -148 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is 2
substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2026): 3
(D) (i) Regulate and prohibit the going at large of dogs and other 4
animals in the streets and public places of the municipality and prevent 5
cruelty to animals and all inhuman sports, except that no municipality 6
shall adopt breed-specific dog ordinances; 7
(ii) Regulate and prohibit the keeping of wild or domestic animals, 8
including reptiles, within the municipal limits or portions thereof; 9
(iii) Notwithstanding the provisions of chapter 435, prohibit the sale 10
of dogs, cats and rabbits in pet shops, as defined in section 22-327; 11
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This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 October 1, 2026 7-148(c)(7)(D)
PD Joint Favorable
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HB5283 / File No. 59 3
The following Fiscal Impact Statement and Bill Analysis are prepared for the benefit of the members of
the General Assembly, solely for purposes of information, summarization and explanation and do not
represent the intent of the General Assembly or either chamber thereof for any purpose. In general,
fiscal impacts are based upon a variety of informational sources, including the analyst’s professional
knowledge. Whenever applicable, agency data is consulted as part of the analysis, however final
products do not necessarily reflect an assessment from any specific department.
OFA Fiscal Note
State Impact: None
Municipal Impact:
Municipalities Effect FY 27 $ FY 28 $
All Municipalities Potential
Cost
See Below See Below
Explanation
The bill authorizes municipalities to prohibit the sale of certain
animals in pet shops within their jurisdiction. This may result in a
potential cost to municipalities beginning in FY 2 7 to the extent they
require additional resources to enforce this provision.
The Out Years
The annualized ongoing fiscal impact identified above would
continue into the future subject to inflation.
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HB5283 / File No. 59 4
OLR Bill Analysis
HB 5283
AN ACT AUTHORIZING MUNICIPALITIES TO PROHIBIT THE SALE
OF DOGS, CATS AND RABBITS IN PET SHOPS.
SUMMARY
This bill authorizes municipalities to prohibit the sale of dogs, cats,
and rabbits in pet shops in their jurisdiction. It does so by amending the
general municipal powers statute to explicitly grant this authority,
regardless of existing state laws on pet shop licensing.
Under existing law and the bill, a “pet shop” is a place where animals
not born and raised on the premises are kept to be sold to the public
(CGS § 22-327(9)). The law prohibits anyone from operating a pet shop
without a license from the state Department o f Agriculture (CGS § 22 -
344(b)).
EFFECTIVE DATE: October 1, 2026
COMMITTEE ACTION
Planning and Development Committee
Joint Favorable
Yea 12 Nay 8 (03/06/2026)