Here’s a quick updates on some of the bills we followed this year. Two passed. HB 1525 gives the board of veterinary medicine jurisdiction over physical therapists practicing on animals. HB 1417 was amended by the Senate to allow a restaurant owner to bring their dog to work with them provided they post a notice.
HB 431 – requiring that an adversive agent be added to antifreeze died when the House and the Senate couldn’t reconcile their differences in a Committee of Conference. While DOGS supported this bill, recent studies have shown that the addition of a bittering agent to antifreeze has not had the effect that was hoped for at least in children. This study found that “bittering agents do not decrease the frequency or severity of pediatric antifreeze poisonings.”
In other news, the legislature repealed the Pet Overpopulation Committee as part of the omnibus commission repeal bill. The committee had not met in five years. The attempt to outsource the management of the state’s spay/neuter fund was rejected.
