Successes
Bill: HB 216 /SB 269– Pets and First Responders
Sponsors: Senator Susan Lee/ Delegate Clarence Lam
Summary: Provides civil and criminal immunity for first responders providing aid to an animal during an emergency.
Vote: House 137-1 / Senate 46-0
Bill: HB 941/ SB 631– Animal Abuse Emergency Compensation Fund
Sponsors: Delegate Aruna Miller/ Senator Richard Madaleno
Summary: Establishes the Animal Abuse Emergency Fund.
Vote: House 132-7 / Senate 47-0
Bill: HB 211/ SB 268 – Cownose Rays Killing Contests
Sponsors: Delegate Shane Robinson/ Senator Ronald Young
Summary: Places a moratorium on cownose rays killing contests for Two years and requires the Department of Natural Resources to prepare a fishery management plan for cownose rays.
Vote: House 119-21 / Senate 46-0
Bill: HB 602/ SB 422- Keep Antibiotics Effective Act
Sponsors: Delegate Shane Robinson/ Senator Paul Pinsky
Summary: Prohibits the usage of specified antimicrobial drugs in farm animals unless medically necessary.
Vote: House 139-1 / Senate 35-12
Bill: HB 1463– Mandatory Veterinarian Reporting
Sponsors: Delegate Barbara Frush
Summary: Requires veterinarians to report suspected animal abuse.
Vote: House 118-15 / Senate 47-0
Bill: HB 334/ SB 573– Commercial Dog Breeder
Sponsors: Delegate Benjamin Kramer/ Senator Brian Feldman
Summary: Lowers the threshold for requiring a Maryland dog breeder license from 15 intact females to 6 breeding females.
Vote: House 123-15 / Senate 46-0
Bill: HB 781– Retail Pet Stores
Sponsors: Delegate Benjamin Kramer
Summary: Requires retail pet stores selling dogs to place USDA inspection reports of the breeder on or near the dog’s cage.
Vote: House 117-0 / Senate 47-0
Bill: HB 455/ SB 790– Technical Fix to the Animal Cruelty Code
Sponsors: Delegate Vanessa Atterbeary/ Senator William Smith
Summary: Clarified that acts in the cruelty code were separate and distinct offenses.
Vote: House 131-5 / Senate 46-0
Bill: HB 626– Animal Shelter Oversight
Sponsors: Delegate Jim Gilchrist
Summary: Requiring an animal shelter to follow a specified written protocol for reclaiming animals and requiring the Department of Agriculture to adopt specified minimum standards of care for dogs and cats in animal shelters that will be followed by animal shelters.
Vote: House 130-5 / Senate 45-0
Failed Bills
Bill: HB 686/ SB 560– Wildlife Trafficking
Sponsors: Delegate Eric Luedke/ Senator Ronald Young
House E&T– Never brought for a vote and died in committee.
Senate EHE– Never brought for a vote and died in committee.
Bill: HB 528 /SB 420– Adoption of Research Animals
Sponsors: Delegate Benjamin Kramer/ Senator Michael Hough
House Appropriations– Never brought for a vote and died in committee.
Senate EHE– Never brought for a vote and died in committee.
Bill: HB 625/SB 80– Animal Cruelty Code- Felony penalties when 10 or more animals are involved.
Sponsors: Delegate Mary Beth Carozza/ Senator James Mathias
Senate JPR– Received an unfavorable report.
House Judiciary– Never brought for a vote and died in committee.