2018 -- H 7414 | |
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LC004366 | |
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND | |
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY | |
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2018 | |
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A N A C T | |
RELATING TO ANIMALS AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY -- DISPOSITION OF RESEARCH | |
ANIMALS | |
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Introduced By: Representatives Lima, Fellela, Winfield, O'Brien, and Solomon | |
Date Introduced: February 01, 2018 | |
Referred To: House Health, Education & Welfare | |
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: | |
1 | SECTION 1. Title 4 of the General Laws entitled "ANIMALS AND ANIMAL |
2 | HUSBANDRY" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following chapter: |
3 | CHAPTER 27 |
4 | RETIREMENT OF RESEARCH DOGS AND CATS |
5 | 4-27-1. Short title. |
6 | This act shall be known and may cited as the "Research Animal Retirement Act." |
7 | 4-27-2. Research dogs and cats -- Retirement. |
8 | (a) A higher education research facility that receives public money, including tax-exempt |
9 | status, or a facility that provides research in collaboration with a higher education facility shall, |
10 | after the completion of any testing or research involving a dog or cat, assess the health of the dog |
11 | or cat and determine whether it is suitable for adoption. Such facility shall thereafter make |
12 | reasonable efforts to offer for adoption the dog or cat determined to be suitable for adoption, |
13 | either through private placement or through an animal rescue and shelter organization, a duly |
14 | incorporated society for the prevention of cruelty to animals, a duly incorporated humane society, |
15 | or a duly incorporated animal protective association that operates physical animal sheltering |
16 | facilities and offers household pets to the public for adoption by way of an established adoption |
17 | program. These efforts shall be made prior to euthanizing such dog or cat. Nothing in this section |
18 | shall create a duty upon such an organization, association or society to accept a dog or cat offered |
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1 | by a higher education research facility for adoption. |
2 | (b) A facility that is required to offer dogs or cats for adoption under this section may |
3 | enter into an agreement with an animal rescue and shelter organization, a duly incorporated |
4 | society for the prevention of cruelty to animals, a duly incorporated humane society, or a duly |
5 | incorporated animal protective association that operates physical animal sheltering facilities and |
6 | offers household pets to the public for adoption by way of an established adoption program. |
7 | (c) The attending or institutional veterinarian at a facility that is required to offer dogs or |
8 | cats for adoption under this section shall have the authority to assess the health of an animal and |
9 | determine whether an animal is suitable for adoption. |
10 | SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. |
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EXPLANATION | |
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL | |
OF | |
A N A C T | |
RELATING TO ANIMALS AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY -- DISPOSITION OF RESEARCH | |
ANIMALS | |
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1 | This act would require educational institutions using dogs or cats for medical research to |
2 | make animals no longer useful for research available for adoption. |
3 | This act would take effect upon passage. |
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