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H122 • 2025

An Act relative to the preservation of existing pet cemeteries

An Act relative to the preservation of existing pet cemeteries

Agriculture
Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
Rodney M. Elliott
Last action
2026-03-16
Official status
Accompanied a study order, see H5241 (under House Rule 27)
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

An Act relative to the preservation of existing pet cemeteries

An Act relative to the preservation of existing pet cemeteries By Representative Elliott of Lowell, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.

What This Bill Does

  • An Act relative to the preservation of existing pet cemeteries By Representative Elliott of Lowell, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.
  • 122) of Rodney M.
  • Elliott and James Arciero that the Division of Animal Health be authorized to regulate the preservation of existing pet cemeteries.
  • Agriculture.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-16 House

    Accompanied a study order, see H5241 (under House Rule 27)

  2. 2025-06-27 Joint

    Referred, pursuant to an order adopted by the two branches, to the committee on Agriculture and Fisheries

  3. 2025-06-26 Joint

    Hearing scheduled for 07/09/2025 from 01:00 PM-05:00 PM in A-1

  4. 2025-02-27 House

    Referred to the committee on Agriculture

  5. 2025-02-27 Senate

    Senate concurred

  6. House

    Reported by committee to Clerk’s Office for processing, will accompany a study order

Official Summary Text

An Act relative to the preservation of existing pet cemeteries
By Representative Elliott of Lowell, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 122) of Rodney M. Elliott and James Arciero that the Division of Animal Health be authorized to regulate the preservation of existing pet cemeteries. Agriculture.

Current Bill Text

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Bill H.122

SECTION 1. Chapter 129 of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the following section:-

Section 49. (a) For the purposes of this section the following words shall, unless the context clearly requires otherwise, have the following meanings:

“Pet”, any domestic animal that has been adapted or tamed to live in intimate association with people but, not limited to, dogs, cats, rodents, fish, birds, snakes, turtles, lizards, frogs and rabbits.

“Pet cemetery”, any plot of ground used or intended to be used, for the permanent burial or disposition of the remains of a pet in a grave, a mausoleum, a columbarium, a vault or other receptacle provided by any person for a fee, whether or not for profit, to veterinarians or members of the general public.

(b) The owner of any real property used or to be used for a pet cemetery shall file in the registry of deeds in which the real property is located, a dedication restricting the real property to be used only for such purposes as are usual and customary for the operation of a pet cemetery.

(c) The owner or operator of every pet cemetery shall keep adequate records of all purchasers of space for pet remains within the grounds of such pet cemetery.

(d) The director shall promulgate rules or regulations necessary to carry out this section.

SECTION 2. This act shall apply to any real property used as a pet cemetery, as defined in section 1, before, on or after the effective date of this act.

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