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HB0096 • 2021

Treatment of animals.

AN ACT relating to animals; amending provisions governing euthanasia of animals; amending definitions; amending a misdemeanor provision; and providing for an effective date.

Agriculture
Inactive

Wyoming marks this bill as inactive, which usually means it is no longer moving in the current session.

Sponsor
Representative Larsen
Last action
2021-04-07
Official status
inactive
Effective date
3/1/2021

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary text does not provide specific details about the consequences for non-compliance with the new rules, leaving this point speculative.

Rules for Euthanasia of Household Pets

The bill changes how animal control facilities can euthanize household pets and adds rules about training staff who perform euthanasia.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires animal control facilities to use sodium pentobarbital or a similar drug for euthanizing household pets.
  • Specifies that the drug must be given by intravenous, intraperitoneal injection, or intracardiac injection if the pet is unconscious.
  • Requires animal control facilities to create and follow policies on how to perform euthanasia.
  • Requires staff who do euthanasia to attend training at least once every two years.
  • Keeps records of when staff attended training.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Animal control facilities that care for stray, surrendered, or neglected household pets.
  • Staff members who perform euthanasia on household pets.

Terms To Know

Household pet
A privately owned animal kept as a companion in or near a house, such as dogs, cats, and small animals like rabbits and guinea pigs.
Animal control facility
A place that takes care of stray, surrendered, or neglected household pets temporarily.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify what happens if a facility fails to follow the new rules.
  • It is unclear how existing facilities will adapt their practices to meet these requirements.
  • This bill was marked as inactive and did not become law in its current session.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

HB0096H2001

2nd reading • Representative Zwonitzer

Adopted

Plain English: The amendment changes references in a section of the bill to update legal citations and clarify language.

  • Replaces '6-3-1010' with '6-3-1001' in the text of the bill.
  • Removes specific wording about when certain provisions were enacted, making the language more general.
  • Changes a number from '2' to '3'.
  • The amendment's technical nature makes it hard to explain fully without context on what these numbers and references mean in the larger bill.
HB0096HW001

Committee of the Whole • Representative Zwonitzer

Adopted

Plain English: The amendment changes how animals are euthanized in animal control facilities and updates definitions related to household pets.

  • Adds a new section requiring animal control facilities to use sodium pentobarbital or its derivatives for the euthanasia of household pets, specifying methods of administration.
  • Requires animal control facilities to adopt policies and training programs for euthanasia and maintain records of these activities.
  • Updates definitions in existing laws to include 'animal control facility' and clarify what constitutes a 'household pet'.
  • Prohibits the use of certain methods like high-altitude decompression chambers, carbon monoxide, or nonanesthetic inhalants for destroying animals.
  • The amendment text does not specify how existing provisions will be affected beyond those explicitly mentioned.

Bill History

  1. 2021-04-07 Senate

    S:Died in Committee Returned Bill Pursuant to SR 5-4

  2. 2021-04-01 Senate

    S No report prior to CoW Cutoff

  3. 2021-03-30 Senate

    :Refer to S05 - Agriculture

  4. 2021-03-18 Senate

    S Introduced and Referred to S07 - Corporations

  5. 2021-03-18 Senate

    S Received for Introduction

  6. 2021-03-17 House

    H 3rd Reading:Passed 51-9-0-0-0

  7. 2021-03-12 House

    H 2nd Reading:Passed

  8. 2021-03-11 House

    H COW:Passed

  9. 2021-03-05 House

    H Placed on General File

  10. 2021-03-05 House

    H07 - Corporations:Recommend Do Pass 7-2-0-0-0

  11. 2021-03-02 House

    H Introduced and Referred to H07 - Corporations

  12. 2021-02-02 House

    H Received for Introduction

  13. 2021-02-02 LSO

    Bill Number Assigned

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
21LSO-0251
2021
STATE OF WYOMING
21LSO-0251
ENGROSSED
3.0

HOUSE BILL NO. HB0096

Treatment of animals.

Sponsored by: Representative(s) Larsen, Barlow and Brown and Senator(s) Ellis

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to animals; amending provisions governing euthanasia of animals; amending definitions; amending a misdemeanor provision; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1.

W.S. 6
‑
3
‑
1001 is created to read:

6
‑
3
‑
1001.

Authorized euthanasia practices.

(a)

An animal control facility shall administer sodium pentobarbital or a derivative thereof as the exclusive method for euthanasia of household pets. Sodium pentobarbital or a derivative thereof shall be administered by:

(i)

Intravenous injection by hypodermic needle;

(ii)

Intraperitoneal injection by hypodermic needle; or

(iii)

Only if an animal is unconscious, intracardiac injection by hypodermic needle.

(b)

If an animal control facility euthanizes household pets, the animal control facility shall:

(i)

Adopt a policy for euthanasia that complies with the applicable provisions of this section;

(ii)

Adopt a euthanasia training program;

(iii)

Require each person who conducts or assists with euthanasia to attend the euthanasia training program required by paragraph (ii) of this subsection at least one (1) time every two (2) years; and

(iv)

Keep a record of training dates and all attendees.

(c)

The requirements imposed on animal control facilities by subsection (b) of this section are in addition to the requirements imposed on animal euthanasia technicians in W.S. 33
‑
30
‑
223 and 33
‑
30
‑
224.

Section 2.

W.S. 6
‑
3
‑
1001(a) by creating a new paragraph (i) and by renumbering paragraphs (i) through (iii) as (ii) through (iv) and 6
‑
3
‑
1003 by creating a new subsection (d), as created by 2021 Senate Enrolled Act 12, 2021 Senate File 0026, and signed by the governor on February 5, 2021, are amended to read:

6
‑
3
‑
1001.

Definitions.

(a)

As used in this article:

(i)

"Animal control facility" means a public or private facility the primary purpose of which is to provide temporary care for stray, surrendered or neglected household pets;

(i)
(ii)

"Costs of the animal's impoundment" means all costs incurred by the impounding entity in providing necessary food and water, veterinary attention and treatment for any animal which is the subject of a violation of this article;

(ii)
(iii)

"Household pet" means any privately owned dog, cat, rabbit, guinea pig, hamster, mouse, gerbil, ferret, bird, fish, reptile, amphibian, invertebrate or any other species of domesticated animal sold, transferred or retained for the purpose of being kept as a pet in or near a house.

"Household pet" shall not include any livestock;

(iii)
(iv)

"Livestock" means horses, mules and asses, rabbits, llamas, cattle, swine, sheep, goats, poultry, or other animal generally used for food or in the production of food or fiber, working animals and guard animals actively engaged in the protection or management of livestock. Bison are considered livestock unless otherwise designated by the Wyoming livestock board and the Wyoming game and fish commission.

6
‑
3
‑
1003.

Other misdemeanors involving animal abuse; prohibition on manner of destruction of animals; attending fowl or dog fights; keeping household pets in unsanitary conditions.

(d)

An animal control facility shall not destroy an animal by the use of a high
‑
altitude decompression chamber, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide or any nonanesthetic inhalant.

Section 3
.

This act is effective July 1, 2021
.

(END)

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HB0096