Substitute House Bill No. 6517
Substitute House Bill No. 6517
PUBLIC ACT NO. 97-187
AN ACT CONCERNING THE ANIMAL POPULATION CONTROL
PROGRAM.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of
Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 22-380f of the general
statutes is repealed and the following is
substituted in lieu thereof:
No pound shall sell or give away any unspayed
or unneutered dog or cat to any person unless such
pound receives forty-five dollars, of which
[thirty-five] TWENTY dollars may be refunded
pursuant to this section, from the person buying
or adopting such dog or cat. [provided such
payment] A NONREFUNDABLE PAYMENT OF TWENTY-FIVE
DOLLARS shall [not] be required for the purchase
or adoption of any [such] UNSPAYED OR UNNEUTERED
dog or cat by a bona fide animal rescue or
adoption organization or any representative of any
such organization. Funds received pursuant to this
section shall be paid monthly by the pound into
the animal population control account established
under section 22-380g. At the time of receipt of
such payment, the pound shall provide a
certificate to the person buying or adopting such
dog or cat. Such certificate shall be on a form
provided by the commissioner. If such certificate
is returned to the commissioner within thirty days
of the adoption or purchase of the dog or cat and
is signed by a licensed veterinarian, stating that
such dog or cat has been spayed or neutered and
specifying the date on which the operation was
performed or that such dog or cat is medically
unfit for such surgery, the commissioner shall
refund [thirty-five] TWENTY dollars to the person
who purchased or adopted the animal. If such
certificate is not returned to the commissioner
because the person who purchased or adopted the
dog or cat failed to have such dog or cat spayed
or neutered, the payment shall be considered
forfeited and shall be retained in the animal
population control account established pursuant to
section 22-380g. In the case of any dog or cat
which is temporarily unfit for surgery or a dog or
cat under the age of six months, such certificate
shall specify a date by which such dog or cat may
be fit for such surgery and the person who
purchased or adopted such dog or cat shall have
thirty days from that date to return the
certificate for the refund provided for in this
section.
Sec. 2. Subsection (a) of section 22-359 of
the general statutes is repealed and the following
is substituted in lieu thereof:
(a) The commissioner may make such orders for
the adequate confinement, control or destruction
of any dog, cat or other animal as he deems
necessary to prevent the spread of rabies and to
protect the public therefrom PROVIDED,
NOTWITHSTANDING THE PROVISIONS OF SECTION 22-358,
A LOCAL DIRECTOR OF HEALTH MAY ORDER THE
DESTRUCTION OF ANY UNOWNED ANIMAL WHICH IS NOT
CURRENTLY VACCINATED FOR RABIES FOR THE PURPOSE OF
RABIES TESTING IF THE DIRECTOR FINDS THAT THE
ANIMAL HAS BITTEN A PERSON AND THE HEALTH OR LIFE
OF SUCH PERSON MAY BE THREATENED. Any person who
fails to comply with any order made under the
provisions of this section shall be fined not more
than one hundred dollars. The commissioner, the
chief canine control officer, any canine control
officer or any municipal animal control officer
may quarantine any animal in a public pound,
veterinary hospital, kennel or other building or
enclosure approved by the commissioner for such
purpose, if in the determination of the
commissioner or such officer, such animal is rabid
or is suspected of being rabid, or has been bitten
by, or may have been bitten by, or has been in
contact with or exposed to, a rabid animal or an
animal suspected of carrying rabies or any wild
animal as defined in subsection (d) of this
section. The length of such quarantine period
shall be determined by the commissioner or the
state veterinarian who shall take into account the
age, general health and vaccination history of the
animal as well as current accepted veterinary
practices. Any suspected or confirmed case of
rabies shall be reported to the commissioner by a
local director of health or board of health or any
veterinarian within twenty-four hours of receipt
of such information.
Sec. 3. (NEW) (a) On and after the effective
date of the regulations adopted pursuant to
subsection (d) of this section, the Commissioner
of Motor Vehicles shall issue animal population
control program commemorative number plates of a
design to enhance public awareness of pet
overpopulation and the state's effort to provide
for the low-cost spaying and neutering of
unsterilized dogs and cats adopted from municipal
pounds. Said design shall be determined by
agreement between the Commissioner of Agriculture
and the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles. No use may
be made of such plates except as official motor
vehicle registration marker plates.
(b) The Commissioner of Motor Vehicles shall
adopt regulations, in accordance with the
provisions of chapter 54 of the general statutes,
which provide for a one-time fee of fifty dollars
to be charged for animal population control
program commemorative number plates in addition to
the regular fee or fees prescribed for the
registration of a motor vehicle. Fifteen dollars
of such one-time fee shall be deposited in an
account controlled by the Department of Motor
Vehicles to be used for administrative costs of
carrying out the provisions of this subsection.
Such number plates shall have letters and numbers
selected by the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles.
The Commissioner of Motor Vehicles may establish a
higher fee for: (1) Such number plates which
contain letters in place of numbers as authorized
by section 14-49 of the general statutes, in
addition to the fee or fees prescribed for plates
issued under said section; and (2) such number
plates which are low number plates, in accordance
with section 14-160 of the general statutes, in
addition to the fee or fees prescribed for plates
issued under said section.
(c) The biennial renewal fee for the
registration certificate of a motor vehicle for
which an animal population control program
commemorative number plate has been issued shall
include, in each renewal year subsequent to the
year of issuance, an animal population control
program commemorative number plate fee in the
amount of fifteen dollars, of which five dollars
shall be allocated for administrative costs to the
Department of Motor Vehicles, which shall be in
addition to the fee for the renewal of the
registration certificate. No additional renewal
fee shall be charged for renewal of registration
for any motor vehicle bearing animal population
control program commemorative number plates which
contain letters in place of numbers, or low number
plates, in excess of the renewal fee for animal
population control program commemorative number
plates with letters and numbers selected by the
Commissioner of Motor Vehicles. No additional fee
shall be charged for transfer of an existing
registration to or from a registration with animal
population control program commemorative number
plates.
(d) The Commissioner of Motor Vehicles, in
consultation with the Commissioner of Agriculture,
shall adopt regulations, in accordance with the
provisions of chapter 54 of the general statutes,
to establish procedures for the issuance, renewal
and replacement of animal population control
program commemorative number plates.
(e) The Commissioner of Motor Vehicles shall
notify eligible motorists of the opportunity to
obtain animal population control program
commemorative number plates by including a notice
with all motor vehicle registration renewals and
by posting appropriate posters or signs in all
division facilities and offices. The notices,
posters and signs shall be designed by the
Commissioner of Agriculture in consultation with
the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles.
(f) All fees established and collected
pursuant to this section other than those moneys
designated for administrative costs of the
Department of Motor Vehicles, shall be deposited
in the animal population control program account
established under section 22-380g of the general
statutes.
Sec. 4. This act shall take effect July 1,
1997.
Approved June 26, 1997