HB 858 -- Animal Care Facilities

Co-Sponsors:  Selby, McKenna, Scheve, Abel, Carnahan, Fraser,
Van Zandt, Campbell, Shelton, Boucher

This bill revises the Animal Care Facilities Act.  Additional
requirements include:

(1)  Adequate water must be clean, fresh, unfrozen, and provided
in a sanitary manner;

(2)  Fresh water must be available to animals if the ambient
temperature is 85 degrees or more;

(3)  Persons operating an animal distribution center or auction,
or who act as an intermediate handler are required to obtain a
license; and

(4)  License fees for facilities, currently from $100 to $500,
are standardized at $100 with an additional fee of $1 per animal
handled at the facility.

The State Veterinarian is designated as the licensing authority
for animal care facilities.  The State Veterinarian is:

(1)  Given expanded authority to refuse to issue or revoke a
license.  Application for a license is deemed consent of entry
and inspection;

(2)  Required to do an inspection upon complaint unless it is
established that multiple unsubstantiated complaints have been
received;

(3)  Permitted to promulgate rules and regulations regarding
facility inspection;

(4)  Required to report all violations of the Animal Care
Facilities Act, provide a copy of the report to the affected
facility, and maintain records of all violations;

(5)  Required to prohibit any member of his or her staff from
administering the provisions of the act if the staff member is
found to have a conflict of interest;

(6)  Given expanded authority to deal with violations of the act;

(7)  Required to publish a quarterly listing of enforcement
activities; and

(8)  Required to report animal abuse or neglect to local law
enforcement authorities and the local animal control authority.

Other additions to the Animal Control Act include:

(1)  Animal shelters, pounds, and dog pounds are not to be
subject to reinspection fees;

(2)  Persons who intentionally provide false information on
registration forms are guilty of a class A misdemeanor;

(3)  Animals with infectious diseases are to be reported to the
Department of Health;

(4)  The advisory committee formed to assist the State
Veterinarian in establishment of rules and regulations is
expanded from 13 to 17 members; and

(5)  The Animal Care Reserve Fund is allowed to accept gifts,
grants, contributions, appropriations, and funds.  A listing of
all donors and amounts of donations is to be available for
review.

Missouri House of Representatives
Last Updated September 13, 2001 at 2:04 pm