Legislation – State Bills

Strengthening Laws that Protect Animals and Striking Down Laws Hurting Animals

The Animal Legal Defense Fund works at the state and local levels to advance important legislation. We advocate for laws that promote or protect the lives and interests of animals, and we oppose legislation that would be detrimental to animals’ well-being.

We also work closely with the Animal Legal Defense Fund’s other programs to identify opportunities to create model legislation that address strategic legal issues in the areas of civil and criminal law, and monitor legislation that impacts animals at the state and local levels.

State Bills

Room to Roam Act (California)

A.B. 1889

This bill would help protect California wildlife and prioritize climate resilience by establishing a statewide policy requiring local governments to consider and implement measures to protect and improve wildlife connectivity through land-use planning.

Helping Animal and Human Victims Alike Escape Domestic Violence (Rhode Island)

H.B. 7236/S.B. 2655

This bill updates existing Rhode Island law to help victims of abuse — both human and animal — safely flee abusive situations.

Poison-Free Wildlife Act (California)

A.B. 2552

The Poison-Free Wildlife Act would place a moratorium on some of the most dangerous rodenticides — which cause widespread poisoning of wildlife — with limited exceptions.

Online Companion Animal Sales Restrictions (California)

A.B. 2248

This bill invalidates a contract for the purchase of a dog or cat if the contract requires a nonrefundable deposit and does not identify the original source of the animal, including the name of the breeder.

Humane Pet Store Bill (New Jersey)

S.2511/A.4051

This bill would prohibit the retail sale of dogs, cats, and rabbits in New Jersey pet shops.

A Bill to Ban the Sale of Fur Products (Hawaii)

An Act Relating to Animal Fur Products (S.B. 682)

This bill would ban the sale of new fur products in Hawaii, reducing the demand driving the fur industry.

Restricting Public Contact with Wild Animals (Pennsylvania)

H.B. 1451

This bill would restrict the public from feeding or having direct physical contact with wildlife without a separating barrier.

The Mink Facility Disease Prevention Act (Illinois)

S.B. 3262

This bill would phase out mink farming in Illinois until it’s fully banned in January 2025.

Oppose: Ag-Gag Bill to Criminalize Undercover Animal Cruelty Investigations (Kansas) 

H.B. 2816

This bill would prohibit anyone from entering or remaining on and knowingly making false statements on an employment application to gain access to animal facilities.

Oppose: An Act Relating to Taking of Bears (Florida)

H.B. 87

This bill would allow Florida residents to shoot black bears if they feel threatened or they feel their property is threatened by the bear.

Oppose: Ag-Gag Bill to Prohibit Photography (Kentucky)

S.B. 16

This bill would make it a crime to operate a drone or other photography equipment over a Confined Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) — also known as a factory farm — or take any form of photography within a CAFO without the consent of the facility’s owner.

Oppose: Retail Pet Sale Ban Preemption (Indiana)

H.B. 1412

This bill seeks to prohibit municipalities from passing retail pet sale bans, which protect animals from the cruelty of commercial puppy and kitten mills.

Transparency in Animal Testing (Missouri)

S.B. 1319

This bill would allow the public to be informed on the types of animal research activities in Missouri’s publicly funded universities and encourage the universities to reduce the use of animals in research in favor of humane, effective alternatives

Oppose: Retail Pet Sale Ban Preemption Bill (Missouri)

H.B. 2265/S.B. 937

This bill would prevent cities and counties in Missouri from enacting retail pet sale bans.

Traveling Animal Act Ban (Maryland) 

H.B. 379/S.B. 0547

This bill would prohibit the participation of a bear, cougar, elephant, jaguar, leopard (excluding clouded leopards), lion, nonhuman primate, tiger, or any hybrid of these animals in a traveling act in Maryland.

Octopus Farming Ban (California)

A.B. 3162

This bill would prohibit octopus farming on land or water and ban the import of farmed octopuses in California.

Octopus Farming Ban (Hawaii)

H.B. 2262

The bill would prohibit the farming of octopus in the state.

Ending the Intensive Confinement of Hens Used in the Egg Industry (Maryland)

S.B. 193/H.B. 357

This bill would require that eggs produced or sold in Maryland meet cage-free standards

Cat Declawing Ban (Pennsylvania)

H.B. 508

This bill would ban cat declawing procedures, except for therapeutic purposes.

Cat Declawing Ban (Michigan)

H.B. 4883 and H.B. 4674

Proposed legislation would prohibit cat declaw procedures in Michigan unless for therapeutic purposes.

Cat Declawing Ban (Illinois)

H.B. 1533

This bill would prohibit cat declawing in Illinois, with an exemption for the rare cases when the surgery is performed for a legitimate therapeutic purpose.

An Act to Increase Kennel Safety (Massachusetts)

S. 1309/H. 2019

This bill, also known as Ollie’s Law, would require the state to promulgate minimum standards for certain types of kennels such as daycares, boarding facilities, and breeding kennels.

An Act concerning the surgical declawing of cats and other animals (New Jersey)

S.1803/A.2578

This bill would prohibit the surgical declawing of cats and other animals in New Jersey, except in rare cases of medical necessity for the cat.

Cat Declaw Bill (Rhode Island)

S.B. 2007/H.B. 7052

This bill would ban cat declawing in Rhode Island, with an exemption for situations in which the procedure is necessary for a legitimate medical purpose for the well-being of the cat.

An Act Prohibiting Inhumane Feline Declawing (Massachusetts)

S.2552

This bill would prohibit cat declawing except as a medical necessity to protect the cat’s health.

Mass Animal Fund (Massachusetts)

H. 3900 Amendment #139/S. 3 Amendments ENV #4 & #8

This amendment in the state budget bill for fiscal year 2024, H.3900/S.3, will allocate $100,000 to critical companion animal health services.

Low-Carbon Fuel Standard regulations: biogas derived from livestock manure (California)

S.B. 709

This legislation would curtail California’s factory farm biogas incentives, which do little to address the dairy industry’s immense greenhouse gas emissions

Prohibiting harmful practices and devices at rodeos (Los Angeles, CA)

Council File: 20-1575

Proposed Los Angeles ordinance would prohibit the use of harmful practices, techniques, and devices at rodeos or rodeo-related events

Humane Protection of Animals Act (Massachusetts)

S.1142/H.1718

The Humane Protection of Animals Act (S.1142/H.1718) contains a collection of provisions that strengthen and clarify Massachusetts’ animal cruelty laws.

Promote Alternatives to Cosmetics and Product Testing on Animals (Massachusetts)

S.1424/H.850

Bill would require manufacturers and their contract testing facilities to use methods that replace animal testing of products and ingredients for cosmetics, household cleaners, and industrial chemicals.

Animal Possession Ban (Massachusetts)

An Act to Protect Animals From Convicted Animal Abusers (H.1703/S.1076)

Bars people convicted of animal cruelty from possessing, adopting, or fostering animals for at least five years after their release from custody

Protecting Animals Used in Circuses (Massachusetts)

An Act Relative to the Use of Elephants, Big Cats, Primates, and Bears in Traveling Exhibits and Shows (S.2197/S.2189/H.3245)

Prohibits the use of certain wild animals in circuses and traveling shows in Massachusetts.

Ensure That Dogs and Their Families Can Stay Together (Massachusetts)

An Act to Maintain Stable Housing for Families with Pets in an Economic Crisis and Beyond (S.876/H.1367)

Expands access to housing by prohibiting certain discriminatory policies for tenants, residents, homeowners, and renters based on their dog’s breed and by helping ensure families can be housed together with companion animals during a state of emergency

Legislation – State Bills

State Bills

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