AVMA State Legislative Update May 2018

Abuse Reporting / Civil Liability:The Illinois state house of representatives passed HB 4191, to amend the Humane Care for Animals Act. The bill would give a person immunity, from civil and criminal liability, when he/she forcibly removes an animal from a locked vehicle. The legislation awaits action by the Illinois state senate. Scope of Practice: Feline onychectomy, or declawing, would have been criminalized in California had SB 1441 not been defeated. The bill would have imposed the nation's first statewide ban on feline onychectomy, having proposed to add domestic cats to the state ban already in place on the procedure for exotic or wild-native cat species.