Bill > AB793

This bill modifies California's existing laws regarding potentially dangerous and vicious dogs by introducing several key changes to how these dogs are evaluated and potentially regulated. The bill requires courts and hearing entities to determine whether a dog is vicious using a "clear and convincing evidence" standard, and mandates that explicit factual findings be made when categorizing a dog as potentially dangerous or vicious, with specific attention to whether the dog was provoked. The legislation defines terms like "provoke" and "unprovoked" and clarifies that provocation should be a factor when considering how to regulate a dog to mitigate public health and safety risks. The bill prohibits declaring a dog dangerous if the person was provoking the dog, and establishes that any order to end a dog's life must be supported by clear and convincing evidence, including findings that reasonable conditions cannot adequately protect public safety and that the dog's release would create a significant threat. Additionally, the bill applies these regulations only to governmental or judicial proceedings evaluating individual dogs' risks, not to civil actions, and specifies that these provisions are a matter of statewide concern that applies to all counties and cities in California.

Budget and Finance, Justice

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billStatusClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB793