Bill > HF2627

This bill prohibits pet shops from selling cats and dogs, with several key provisions. Under the new law, pet shops are banned from selling, offering to sell, or transferring ownership of animals, but they can provide space for nonprofit humane societies, animal control agencies, or animal rescue organizations to offer animals for adoption, with strict conditions that the pet shop cannot have an ownership interest or receive fees for this service. Pet shops that were already selling animals for at least one year before the law's effective date can continue to operate, but only if they obtain animals from state or USDA-licensed breeders and disclose the breeder's license number in advertisements. The bill also enhances disclosure requirements for pet dealers, mandating they provide detailed information about an animal's origin, health status, and inspection reports. Violations can result in civil fines of up to $1,000 per occurrence, and local governments are still allowed to enact stricter animal transfer regulations. The law includes a provision that if a pet shop violates the regulations on three separate occasions, they will be permanently prohibited from selling animals. The bill is set to take effect on August 1, 2026, and includes a severability clause to ensure that if any part of the law is found unconstitutional, the rest of the law can still be implemented.

Business and Industry

https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=House&f=HF2627&ssn=0&y=2025