Bill > HB2912

This bill, known as the Beagle Freedom Act, prohibits dealers and kennels from importing, selling, or offering for sale dogs and cats bred by persons who have received certain violations from the United States Department of Agriculture under the Animal Welfare Act. The bill also requires persons, kennels, and animal testing facilities that possess dogs or cats they do not need to offer them for release to a releasing agency for adoption, and it imposes recordkeeping requirements on those engaged in raising dogs or cats for research purposes. Additionally, the bill provides whistleblower protection for employees who report potential violations of the act, the Dog Law, or the Animal Welfare Act, and it requires the Department of Agriculture to submit an annual report summarizing the information collected and enforcement activities under the act. Violations of the act are punishable as a misdemeanor of the third degree.