AN ACT Relating to pet theft prevention, pet protection, and certification to minimize theft or unintentional sale for biomedical research purposes and nonimpairment of biomedical research; amending RCW 9.08.070; adding new sections to chapter 9.08 RCW; creating new sections; prescribing penalties; and declaring an emergency.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 9.08 RCW to read as follows:

As used in section 3 of this act and RCW 9.08.070:

(1) "Pet animal" means a tamed or domesticated animal legally retained by a person and kept as a companion. "Pet animal" does not include livestock raised for commercial purposes.

(2) "Research institution" means any facility licensed by the United States department of agriculture to use animals in biomedical or product research.

Sec. 2. Section 1, chapter 114, Laws of 1982 and RCW 9.08.070 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Any person who, with intent to deprive or defraud the owner thereof, does any of the following shall be guilty of a gross misdemeanor:

((~~(1)~~)) (a) Takes, leads away, confines, secretes or converts any ((~~dog~~)) pet animal, except in cases in which the value of the ((~~dog~~)) pet animal exceeds two hundred fifty dollars;

((~~(2)~~)) (b) Conceals the identity of any ((~~dog~~)) pet animal or its owner by obscuring, altering, or removing from the ((~~dog~~)) pet animal any collar, tag, license, tattoo, or other identifying device or mark; or

((~~(3)~~)) (c) Willfully or recklessly kills or injures any ((~~dog~~)) pet animal, unless excused by law.

((~~Such violations shall be punished by imprisonment in the county jail for not more than one year or by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars, or by both such fine and imprisonment.~~))

(2) Except as otherwise permitted by law, any person who knowingly does any of the following shall be guilty of a class C felony:

(a) Sells or otherwise directly transfers a stolen or fraudulently obtained pet animal to a research institution in the state of Washington; or

(b) Sells or otherwise transfers a stolen or fraudulently obtained pet animal to another person who regularly sells animals to research institutions in the state of Washington.

(3) The provisions of this section shall not apply to the lawful acts of any employee, agent, or director of any humane society, animal control agency, or animal shelter operated by or on behalf of any government agency, operating under law.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. A new section is added to chapter 9.08 RCW to read as follows:

(1) All transfers of animals to research institutions in this state, whether by sale or otherwise, shall conform with federal laws and except as to those animals obtained from a source outside the United States, shall be accompanied by one of the following written certifications, dated and signed under penalty of perjury:

(a) Breeder certification: A written statement certifying that the person signing the certification is a United States department of agriculture-licensed class A dealer whose business license in the state of Washington includes only those animals that the dealer breeds and raises as a closed or stable colony and those animals that the dealer acquires for the sole purpose of maintaining or enhancing the dealer's breeding colony, that the animal being sold is one of those animals, and that the person signing the certification is authorized to do so. The certification shall also include an identifying number for the dealer, such as a business license number.

(b) True owner certification: A written statement certifying that the animal being transferred is owned by the person signing the certification, and that the person signing the certification either (i) has no personal knowledge or reason to believe that the animal is a pet animal, or (ii) consents to having the animal used for research at a research institution. The certification shall also state the date that the owner obtained the animal, and the person or other source from whom it was obtained. The certification shall also include an identifying number for the person signing the certification, such as a drivers' license number or business license number. The certifications signed by or on behalf of a humane society, animal control agency, or animal shelter need not contain a statement that the society or shelter owns the animal, but shall state that the animal has been in the possession of the society, agency, or shelter for the minimum period required by law that entitles it to legally dispose of the animal.

(2) In addition to the foregoing certification, all research institutions in this state shall open at the time a dog or cat is transferred to it a file that contains the following information for each dog or cat transferred to the institution:

(a) All information required by federal law;

(b) The certification required by this section; and

(c) A brief description of the dog or cat (e.g. breed, color, sex, any identifying characteristics), and a photograph of the dog or cat.

The brief description may be contained in the written certification.

These files shall be maintained and open for public inspection for a period of at least two years from the date of acquisition of the animal.

(3) All research institutions in this state shall, within one hundred eighty days of the effective date of this act, adopt and operate under written policies governing the acquisition of animals to be used in biomedical or product research at that institution, which shall be binding on all employees, agents, or contractors of that institution. These policies must contain, at a minimum, the following provisions:

(a) Animals shall be acquired in accordance with the federal animal welfare act, public health service policy, and other applicable statutes and regulations;

(b) No research may be conducted on a pet animal without the written permission of the pet animal's owner;

(c) Any animal acquired by the institution that is determined to be a pet animal shall be returned to its legal owner, unless the institution has the owner's written permission to retain the animal; and

(d) A person at the institution shall be designated to have the responsibility for investigating any facts supporting the possibility that an animal in the institution's possession may be a pet animal, including any inquiries from citizens regarding their pets. This person shall devise and insure implementation of procedures to inform inquiring citizens of their right to prompt review of the relevant files required to be kept by the institution for animals obtained from outside sources under subsection (2) of this section, and shall be responsible for facilitating the rapid return of any animal determined to be a pet animal to the legal owner who has not given the institution permission to have the animal or transferred ownership of it to the institution.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. Any violation of section 2 or 3 of this act constitutes an unfair or deceptive practice in violation of chapter 19.86 RCW. The relief available under chapter 19.86 RCW for violations of this act by a research institution shall be limited to only monetary penalties in an amount not to exceed two thousand five hundred dollars.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. No provision of this act shall in any way interfere with or impair the operation of chapter 16.52 RCW, relating to the prevention of cruelty to animals, or Title 28B RCW, relating to higher education or biomedical research. The provisions of sections 2 and 3 of this act are cumulative and nonexclusive and shall not affect any other remedy.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and shall take effect immediately.