Virginia Legislative Overview – 2022-23 Session

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37 pet related items were proposed during the 2022-23 legislative session, 13 of which were designated as priority by the Pet Advocacy Network.

Final Disposition of Priority ISSUES:

BILL #SUMMARYFINAL DISPOSITION
HB 53Animal Seizure/Humane Investigator Appointment Requirements:
Amends Title 3.2 (Agriculture, Animal Care & Food), Chapter 65 (Comprehensive Animal Care), Article 1 (General Provisions), Section 6500 (Definitions) and Article 7 (Animal Control Officers and Humane Investigators) of the Code of Virginia to: 1) Add definition of “zoo” to existing statute; 2) provide requirements for seizure of animals from petting zoos; and 3) clarify appointment requirements for state humane investigators.  
DIED IN COMMITTEE
HB 1330Animal Facility Microchip Scanning Requirement:
Amends Title 3.2 (Agriculture, Animal Care, & Food), Subtitle V (Domestic Animals), Chapter 65 (Comprehensive Animal Care), Article 12 (Miscellaneous Provisions) of the Code of Virginia by adding Section 3.2-6585.1 (Duty to identify; scanning for microchip) to require veterinarians, public or private animal shelters, and releasing agencies to seek to identify the lawful owners of the unidentified companion animals that are submitted to them by scanning for embedded microchips.
ENACTED
HB 1350/SB 87Pet Dealer Sourcing/Importing Restrictions – Inclusion of Cats:
Amends Title 3.2 (Agriculture, Animal Care, & Food), Subtitle V (Domestic Animals), Chapter 65 (Comprehensive Animal Care), Article 3 (Transportation and Sale of Animals), Section 6511.2 (Dealers; Importation and Sale of Dogs; Penalty) of the Code of Virginia to include cats in certain importation restrictions.  
ENACTED
HB 1451Pet Shop Dog Breeder Sourcing Disclosure Violation:
Amends Title 3.2 (Agriculture, Animal Care, & Food), Subtitle V (Domestic Animals), Chapter 65 (Comprehensive Animal Care), Article 3 (Transportation and Sale of Animals), Section 6513.1 (Pet Shops; Posting of Information about Dogs) of the Code of Virginia to provide for a civil penalty for violations of this section.  
DIED IN COMMITTEE
HB 1468Maximum Charge for Rabies Vaccinations by Veterinarians:
Amends Title 3.2 (Agriculture, Animal Care & Food), Chapter 65 (Comprehensive Animal Care), Article 5 (Rabies Control and Licensing of Dogs and Cats), Section 3.2-6521 (Rabies inoculation of companion animals; availability of certificate; rabies clinics) of the Code of Virginia to provide for a maximum charge for companion animal rabies vaccinations.  
DIED IN COMMITTEE
HB 1984Animal Welfare – “Adequate Water” Definition:
Amends Title 32 (Agriculture, Animal Care & Food), Chapter 65 (Comprehensive Animal Care), Article 3 (Transportation & Sale of Animals), Section 6500 (Definitions) of the Code of Virginia to amend the definition of “adequate water” as it relates to the care of companion animals to align with the federal Animal Welfare Act.  
DIED IN COMMITTEE
HB 1985Codification of Pet Shop Dog and Cat Regulations:
Amends Title 32 (Agriculture, Animal Care & Food), Chapter 65 (Comprehensive Animal Care), Article 3 (Transportation & Sale of Animals) of the Code of Virginia by adding a new Section 6511.3 (Pet shops; sale of dogs or cats; regulations and guidance) to codify regulations proposed by the Virginia Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services governing the keeping of dogs and cats by pet shops.
DIED IN COMMITTEE
HB 2417Pet Leasing/Financing Restrictions:
Amends Title 3.2 (Agriculture, Animal Care & Food), Chapter 65 (Comprehensive Animal Care), Article 3 (Transportation & Sale of Animals), Section 6513.2 (Rental or lease of dog or cat prohibited; civil penalty) of the Code of Virginia to prohibit financial institutions, access partners, or covered persons, from offering, arranging, brokering, negotiating, placing, finding, or servicing in Virginia any type of loan, credit, or financing agreement for the financing, rental, lease, sale, or other transfer of a dog or cat.  
DIED IN COMMITTEE
SB 89Mandatory Spay-Neuter/Pet Shop Dogs and Cats:
Amends Title 3.2 (Agriculture, Animal Care & Food), Chapter 65 (Comprehensive Animal Care), Article 3 (Transportation and Sale of Animals), Section 3.2-6510 (Sale of unweaned or certain immature animals prohibited; sale of unneutered or unspayed dogs and cats prohibited; vaccinations required for dogs and cats; penalty) to prohibit a pet shop from selling a dog or cat unless it has first been spayed or neutered.  
DIED IN COMMITTEE
SB 517Veterinarian Sales Drug/Medicine Tax Exemption:
Amends Title 58.1 (Taxation), Chapter 6 (Retail Sales and Use Tax), Section 609.10 (Miscellaneous Exemptions) to exempt veterinarians from sales and use tax on the purchase or prescription of medicines and drugs that are administered to patients within a veterinarian-client-patient relationship.  
ENACTED
SB 933Single-Use Plastic Bag Restrictions:
Amends Title 15.2 (Counties, Cities and Towns), Subtitle II (Powers of Local Government), Chapter 9 (General Powers of Local Government) of the Code of Virginia by adding a new Section 15.2-938.1 (Local prohibition on single-use plastic carrier bags) to authorize a locality to prohibit by ordinance the purchase, sale, or provision, whether free or for a cost, of any single-use plastic carrier bag that is not recyclable from grocery stores, retail stores, and convenience stores.  
DIED IN COMMITTEE

View ALL Virginia legislation tracked by the Pet Advocacy Network during the 2022-23 session.

View ALL local ordinances tracked by the Pet Advocacy Network during the 2022-23 session.

View ALL federal and state issues tracked by the Pet Advocacy Network during the 2022-23 session.