Capitol Report
by Thomas Hagerty, DVM

The Minnesota Legislature will reconvene on Thursday, February 4, 2010 for the second year of the 2009-2010 biennium. 2009 was a "budget" year where appropriations for state agencies, universities, school districts, local units of government, etc and numerous policy issues were developed and approved.

The 2010 session is a "bonding" year where funding for roads, bridges, state buildings and many other public projects (Vikings Stadium?) are discussed and decided upon. However, many other issues surface and one may be a desire on the part of some state legislators to pass a "breeder" or "puppy mill" bill.

Your MVMA representatives were involved in many meetings over the past year with various "stakeholders" and testified at committee hearings on at least five proposals regarding the breeding and sale of puppies and kittens.

Essentially the question is who in the business of breeding and offering for sale dogs and cats should be regulated, by whom and at what cost.

We have been researching legislative proposals that have been discussed from many other states and have sought advice from AVMA on this matter.

The Government Affairs committee met on November 19^th to discuss the information that has been gathered to date. The committee agreed to expand the MVMA's position statement on the regulation of dog and cat breeders. The committee included animal shelters, humane societies and animal auctions be subject to the same inspection and regulation requirements as the breeders. It also took the position that all USDA regulated facilities should be included and not be exempted from state inspection and regulation. The committee also proposed that a certificate of veterinary inspection (CVI) be required for the sale of all dogs and cats and should include testing for brucellosis.

The committee reiterated that the MVMA has a legislative review process in place for evaluating all meaningful and constructive legislative proposals pertaining to this issue.

The MVMA supports the Board of Animal Health as the overseeing body for inspection and enforcement of breeder legislation. It is essential that the board be provided adequate resources to carry out this responsibility including appropriate funding.

The Wisconsin legislature recently passed and the Governor signed into law 2009 Assembly Bill 250 which will regulate persons who sell dogs or operate animal shelters and control facilities and provides appropriations. This legislation may become the framework that the Minnesota legislature will use in developing a proposal for Minnesota.

The MVMA's Government Affairs committee will meet on Friday, Feburary 5th, 2010 during the MVMA annual meeting to discuss this issue further. The committee has invited Dr. Yvonne Bellay, State Humane officer with the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture to attend this meeting and find out more about the WI breeder bill. The Wisconsin DOA supported this legislation as well as the WI Veterinary Medical Association. Dr. Bellay has agreed to attend. There may also be some interested legislators in attendance.

During the upcoming session we will continue to monitor all proposed bills regarding animals, veterinarians and veterinary medicine.