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EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb1551*
HOUSE BILL 1551
M4, C2 6lr1935
By: Delegate Metzgar
Introduced and read first time: February 13, 2026
Assigned to: Economic Matters
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Department of Agriculture – Regulation of Dog Breeders 2
FOR the purpose of establishing the Dog Breeder Accountability Fund as a special, 3
nonlapsing fund; requiring, on or before a certain date beginning in a certain year, a 4
certain dog breeder to register annually with the Department of Agriculture in a 5
certain manner ; requiring , beginning on a certain date, a certain dog breeder to 6
submit to the Department an application for a certain puppy birth certificate in a 7
certain manner; prohibiting, beginning on a certain date, a certain dog breeder from 8
selling or otherwise transferring to the public a puppy unless certain conditions are 9
met; requiring, on or before a certain date, the Department to develop a certain 10
registry; and generally relating to the regulation of dog breeders by the Department 11
of Agriculture. 12
BY adding to 13
Article – Agriculture 14
Section 17–101 through 17–106 to be under the new title “Title 17. Regulation of Dog 15
Breeders” 16
Annotated Code of Maryland 17
(2016 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 18
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 19
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 20
Article – Agriculture 21
TITLE 17. REGULATION OF DOG BREEDERS. 22
17–101. 23
2 HOUSE BILL 1551
(A) IN THIS TITLE THE FOLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANI NGS 1
INDICATED. 2
(B) “BREEDER” MEANS A PERSON THAT BREEDS DOGS IN THE STATE TO 3
SELL, EXCHANGE, OR OTHERWISE TRANSFER TO THE PUBLIC. 4
(C) “FUND” MEANS THE DOG BREEDER ACCOUNTABILITY FUND 5
ESTABLISHED UNDER § 17–102 OF THIS TITLE. 6
(D) “MICROCHIP” MEANS A RADIO –FREQUENCY IDENTIFICA TION DEVICE 7
THAT COMPLIES WITH M ICROCHIP STANDARDS S ET BY THE INTERNATIONAL 8
ORGANIZATION FOR STANDARDIZATION. 9
(E) “PUPPY BIRTH CERTIFICA TE” MEANS A BIRTH CERTIF ICATE FOR A 10
PUPPY THAT IS ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT TO A BREEDER UNDER § 17–103(B) OF 11
THIS TITLE. 12
17–102. 13
(A) THERE IS A DOG BREEDER ACCOUNTABILITY FUND. 14
(B) THE PURPOSE OF THE FUND IS TO: 15
(1) PROMOTE BREEDER REGISTRATION AND ACCOUNTABILITY; AND 16
(2) PROVIDE FINANCIAL ASS ISTANCE TO ANIMAL SH ELTERS AND 17
SPAY/NEUTER PROGRAMS TO R EDUCE SHELTER INTAKE AND IMPROVE SHELTER 18
OUTCOMES. 19
(C) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ADMINISTER THE FUND. 20
(D) (1) THE FUND IS A SPECIAL , NONLAPSING FUND THAT IS NOT 21
SUBJECT TO § 7–302 OF THE STATE FINANCE AND PROCUREMENT ARTICLE. 22
(2) THE STATE TREASURER SHALL HOLD THE FUND SEPARATELY , 23
AND THE COMPTROLLER SHALL ACCOUNT FOR THE FUND. 24
(E) THE FUND CONSISTS OF: 25
(1) REVENUE DISTRIBUTED T O THE FUND UNDER §§ 17–103 AND 26
17–106 OF THIS TITLE; 27
HOUSE BILL 1551 3
(2) MONEY APPROPRIATED IN THE STATE BUDGET TO THE FUND; 1
AND 2
(3) ANY OTHER MONEY FROM ANY OTHER SOURCE ACC EPTED FOR 3
THE BENEFIT OF THE FUND. 4
(F) THE FUND MAY BE USED ONLY AS FOLLOWS: 5
(1) 50% FOR FINANCIAL AWARDS TO ANIMAL SHELTERS A ND 6
SPAY/NEUTER PROGRAMS; 7
(2) 30% FOR ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES; AND 8
(3) 20% FOR EDUCATION AND ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITIES. 9
(G) (1) THE STATE TREASURER SHALL INVEST THE MONEY OF THE FUND 10
IN THE SAME MANNER AS OTHER STATE MONEY MAY BE INVESTED. 11
(2) ANY INTEREST EARNINGS OF THE FUND SHALL BE CREDITED TO 12
THE GENERAL FUND OF THE STATE. 13
17–103. 14
(A) (1) ON OR BEFORE JULY 1, 2028, AND EACH YEAR THEREA FTER, A 15
BREEDER SHALL: 16
(I) REGISTER ANNUALLY WIT H THE DEPARTMENT IN 17
ACCORDANCE WITH THIS SUBSECTION; AND 18
(II) AT THE TIME OF REGISTRATION, PAY TO THE DEPARTMENT 19
AN ANNUAL REGISTRATION FEE OF $150. 20
(2) AN ANNUAL REGISTRATION SHALL: 21
(I) BE SUBMITTED ON THE F ORM THAT THE DEPARTMENT 22
PROVIDES; AND 23
(II) INCLUDE: 24
1. THE NAME OF THE BREEDER; 25
2. THE ADDRESS OF THE BREEDER; 26
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3. THE NUMBER OF BREEDIN G FEMALES MAINTAINED 1
BY THE BREEDER FOR THE IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING CALENDAR YEAR; 2
4. THE NUMBER OF LITTERS MAINTAINED BY THE 3
BREEDER FOR THE IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING CALENDAR YEAR; 4
5. PROOF OF COMPLIANCE WITH L OCAL ZONING 5
REGULATIONS; AND 6
6. ANY OTHER INFORMATION REQUIRED BY THE 7
DEPARTMENT. 8
(B) (1) BEGINNING JULY 1, 2029, A BREEDER SHALL: 9
(I) WITHIN 30 DAYS AFTER THE BIRTH OF A LITTER, SUBMIT TO 10
THE DEPARTMENT AN APPLICATION FOR A BIRTH CERTIFICATE FOR EACH PUPPY 11
BORN IN THE LITTER ON THE FORM THAT THE DEPARTMENT PROVIDES; AND 12
(II) PAY TO THE DEPARTMENT AN APPLICA TION FEE OF $50 13
FOR EACH PUPPY IDENTIFIED IN THE APPLICATION. 14
(2) EACH PUPPY BIRTH CERTIFICATE ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT 15
SHALL INCLUDE: 16
(I) THE REGISTRATION NUMBER ASSIGNED TO THE BREEDER; 17
(II) THE PARENTAGE OF THE PUPPY; AND 18
(III) FOR A PUPPY BORN ON O R AFTER JULY 1, 2030, THE 19
MICROCHIP IDENTIFICATION NUMBER ASSIGNED TO THE PUPPY. 20
(C) THE FEES COLLECTED BY THE DEPARTMENT UNDER THIS SECTION 21
SHALL BE DEPOSITED INTO THE FUND. 22
17–104. 23
BEGINNING JULY 1, 2028, A BREEDER MAY NOT SE LL, EXCHANGE, OR 24
OTHERWISE TRANSFER TO THE PUBLIC A PUPPY UNLESS: 25
(1) THE BREEDER IS REGISTERED WITH THE DEPARTMENT UNDER § 26
17–103(A) OF THIS TITLE; 27
HOUSE BILL 1551 5
(2) FOR A PUPPY THAT IS BORN ON OR AFTER JULY 1, 2029, A PUPPY 1
BIRTH CERTIFICATE HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE PUPPY; AND 2
(3) FOR A PUPPY THAT IS B ORN ON OR AFTER JULY 1, 2030, THE 3
PUPPY IS MICROCHIPPED AND THE MICROCHIP NUMBER MATCHES THE MICROCHIP 4
IDENTIFICATION NUMBER INCLUDED ON THE PUPPY’S BIRTH CERTIFICATE. 5
17–105. 6
(A) ON OR BEFORE JULY 1, 2027, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL: 7
(1) ADOPT REGULATIONS TO CARRY OUT THIS TITLE; AND 8
(2) DEVELOP A PUBLICLY AC CESSIBLE REGISTRY TO MAINTAIN 9
INFORMATION RELATED TO EACH BREEDER REGI STERED WITH THE DEPARTMENT 10
UNDER § 17–103(A) OF THIS TITLE , INCLUDING THE INFORM ATION PROVIDED ON 11
EACH PUPPY BIRTH CERTIFICATE ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT TO THE BREEDER. 12
(B) ON OR BEFORE OCTOBER 1, 2029, AND EACH YEAR THEREAFTER, THE 13
DEPARTMENT SHALL REPO RT TO THE GOVERNOR AND , IN ACCORDANCE WITH § 14
2–1257 OF THE STATE GOVERNMENT ARTICLE, THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY ON THE 15
IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS TITLE, INCLUDING: 16
(1) THE N UMBER OF BREEDERS RE GISTERED WITH THE 17
DEPARTMENT; 18
(2) THE AMOUNT AND SOURCE OF MONEY DEPOSITED INTO THE 19
FUND; 20
(3) THE ACTIVITIES AND PROGRAMS THAT HAVE RECEIVED 21
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FROM THE FUND; AND 22
(4) THE IMPACTS ON ANIMAL SHELTER INTAKE AND SHELTER 23
OUTCOMES. 24
17–106. 25
(A) (1) A PERSON WHO VIOLATES THIS TITLE IS SUBJEC T TO A N 26
ADMINISTRATIVE PENALTY OF UP TO $5,000 PER VIOLATION. 27
(2) EACH LITTER OF PUPPIES TH AT IS NOT REPORTED T O THE 28
DEPARTMENT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THIS TITLE IS A SEPARATE VIOLATION. 29
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(B) THE PENALTIES COLLECT ED BY THE DEPARTMENT UNDER THIS 1
SECTION SHALL BE DEPOSITED INTO THE FUND. 2
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 3
1, 2026. 4