HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 629        FILED ON: 1/26/2021

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1008

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Paul A. Schmid, III

_________________

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act establishing a commission on livestock shelter requirements.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

Paul A. Schmid, III

8th Bristol

1/26/2021

Alan Silvia

7th Bristol

2/9/2021

Steven S. Howitt

4th Bristol

2/25/2021

Susan L. Moran

Plymouth and Barnstable

2/25/2021

Christopher Hendricks

11th Bristol

2/25/2021

David F. DeCoste

5th Plymouth

2/25/2021

Susan Williams Gifford

2nd Plymouth

3/5/2021

Paul McMurtry

11th Norfolk

3/5/2021

Kimberly N. Ferguson

1st Worcester

3/5/2021

Daniel R. Carey

2nd Hampshire

3/5/2021

Hannah Kane

11th Worcester

3/16/2021

Joan B. Lovely

Second Essex

3/19/2021

Mathew J. Muratore

1st Plymouth

3/24/2021

Kip A. Diggs

2nd Barnstable

4/8/2021

Norman J. Orrall

12th Bristol

4/8/2021


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 629        FILED ON: 1/26/2021

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1008

By Mr. Schmid of Westport, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1008) of Paul A. Schmid, III and others for legislation to establish a commission on livestock shelter requirements within the Department of Agricultural Resources to develop standards for the appropriate sheltering of livestock from weather elements.  Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture.

 

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 868 OF 2019-2020.]

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninety-Second General Court
(2021-2022)

_______________

 

An Act establishing a commission on livestock shelter requirements.

 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. Chapter 128 of the General Laws, as so appearing in the 2016 official edition, is hereby amended by inserting the following new section:-

Section 116. (a) The Commissioner of Agricultural Resources shall convene a Commission on Livestock Shelter Requirements consisting of 7 members, of which the Commissioner or his designee shall be a member and chair. Additional members shall include: a representative of the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, a representative of the Animal Rescue League of Massachusetts, a representative of the Massachusetts Veterinary Medical Association, a representative of the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, a representative of the Massachusetts Farm Bureau Federation and a representative of the Massachusetts Chapter of the Northeast Organic Farming organization.

(b) The purpose of the task force shall be to develop standards for the appropriate sheltering of livestock from weather elements.  Said standards shall consider requirements appropriate to the species, age and condition of animals.

(c)The standards shall be published within 18 months of passage of this bill. They shall serve as standards for enforcement by agents of organizations listed in section 57 of chapter 22C of the General Laws, who have been designated as special state police officers under that law. 

(d) The Commission shall reconvene at the request of the Commissioner or any 3 members for the purpose of updating the Livestock Shelter Requirements.