The Arizona State Legislature is in session and ADLA volunteers are working to pass animal protection bills and to kill damaging legislation.

ADLA is a member of the Humane Legislative Coalition of Arizona, which has sponsored a measure that would strengthen our state animal cruelty law and correct longstanding loopholes that make prosecution of animal abuse more difficult.

Senate Bill 1227 is sponsored by Senator John Kavanagh and many other bipartisan legislators. This bill raises penalties for ‘second-strike’ abusers; defines the reasonable amount and type of food, water and shelter required for proper care of an animal; and raises bond amount in animal seizure hearings to $250.

We are also strongly opposing House Bill 2330, sponsored by Reps Barton and Gowan, which is nearly identical to the bad farm animal bill that Governor Ducey vetoed last year, stating that “We must ensure that all animals are protected, and mindful that increasing protections for one class of animals does not inadvertently undercut protections for another.”

Despite the governor’s veto, agriculture industry lobbyists have reintroduced virtually the same deceptive bill, which removes farm animals from Arizona’s definition of animals in the criminal code and places them under a new category with weaker protections. HB 2330 also omits the crime of “abandonment” and requirement to provide medical care to farm animals, which are crimes under current law, and prevents any city or county for enacting stronger animal cruelty laws. Update (Feb. 29): HB 2330 is now dead, but we have concerns that a similar version of the bill may be introduced in this session. 

ADLA is tracking other bills that affect animals and we will keep you updated on their progress. If you would like to become involved, please email legislative@adlaz.org  with your name, address, and/or state legislative district.