Bill Summary for Bill Number Sunset of Pet Animal Care Facilties Act

Date: 01/08/2009

Final
Sunset of Pet Animal Care Facilties Act

SENATE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES

Votes: View-->	Action Taken:
Moved Amendment L. 002 (Attachment V). The motio Moved to request that a bill be drafted to impleme	PASS PASS

03:58 PM -- Sunset Hearing on the Pet Animal Care Facilities Act

Bryan Jameson, Policy Analyst, Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA), Office of Policy, Research and Regulatory Reform, explained that the Pet Animal Care Facilities Act (PACFA) program is part of the Animal Industry Division within the Colorado Department of Agriculture that is responsible for licensing pet care facilities and enforcing PACFA provisions. PACFA inspectors examine pet care facilities to ensure compliance with standards for facility operation regarding sanitation, ventilation, heating, cooling, humidity, spatial and enclosure requirements, nutrition, humane care, medical treatment, methods of operation, maintenance of records, euthanasia, and transactions. He also explained the DORA sunset report recommends that the authority of the Department of Agriculture to regulate pet animal care facilities be continued until July 1, 2014, under the provisions of the sunset law. It also includes nine other recommendations to change the current regulations (Attachments S and T). Mr. Jameson also responded to questions from the committee concerning DORA's recommendation to authorize the Commissioner of Agriculture to inspect all properties and records at any time.

The following persons testified on the sunset of the PACFA:

04:14 PM -- Dr. Kate Anderson, Colorado Department of Agriculture, commented on the DORA sunset report recommendations (Attachment U). She also spoke in support of Amendment L.001 (Attachment V) concerning the authority of the Commissioner of Agriculture to obtain administrative search warrants to conduct investigations and commented on Amendment L. 002.(Attachment W) that would extend the sunset of PACFA until 2019 and make other amendments to the draft bill that includes DORA's recommendations.

04:22 PM

Kate Meyers, bill drafter for the Office of Legislative Legal Services, responded to questions from the committee concerning Amendment L. 002 (Attachment V).

04:23 PM -- Mr. Jameson spoke in opposition to Amendment L. 002 that, in part, strikes DORA's recommendation to direct the Commissioner of Agriculture to set fees at sufficient levels for record-keeping and support technology.

04:25 PM -- Dr. Anderson and Commissioner Stulp responded to questions about Amendment L. 002 (Attachment V).

04:27 PM -- Dr. Keith Roehr, State Veterinarian, described technology used by the department to administer the PACFA program.


BILL:	Sunset of PACFA
TIME:	04:36:14 PM
MOVED:	Hodge
MOTION:	Moved to request that a bill be drafted to implement DORA's recommendation that the authority of the Department of Agriculture to regulate pet animal care facilities be continued until July 1, 2014, under the provisions of the sunset law, and nine other recommendations (Attachment S). The motion passed on a vote of 4 to 0.
SECONDED:
		VOTE
	Brophy	Yes
	Gibbs	Excused
	Harvey	Yes
	Hodge	Yes
	Isgar	Yes
	Kester	Excused
	Schwartz	Yes
	(None)
	(None)
Not Final YES: 5 NO: 0 EXC: 2 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS


BILL:	Sunset of PACFA
TIME:	04:36:59 PM
MOVED:	Brophy
MOTION:	Moved Amendment L. 002 (Attachment V). The motion passed 4-0. [Senator Isgar, Chair, Senator Hodge, Vice-Chair]
SECONDED:
		VOTE
	Brophy	Yes
	Gibbs	Excused
	Harvey	Yes
	Hodge	Yes
	Isgar	Yes
	Kester	Excused
	Schwartz	Excused
	(None)
	(None)
Not Final YES: 4 NO: 0 EXC: 3 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS

04:38 PM

Senator Isgar assigned Senator Dan Gibbs to sponsor the bill to continue the authority of the Department of Agriculture to regulate pet animal care facilities until July 1, 2019 and other make other changes to the program.

04:38 PM

The meeting adjourned.