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AMENDED IN SENATE AUGUST 16, 2022

AMENDED IN SENATE JUNE 13, 2022

AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 5, 2022

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2021–2022 REGULAR SESSION

ASSEMBLY BILLNo. 2380

CHAPTER 548

Statutes of 2022

[ Approved by Governor September 26, 2022. Filed with Secretary of State September 26, 2022. ]

Introduced by Assembly Member Maienschein

February 17, 2022

An act to add Section 122191 to the Health and Safety Code, relating to online pet retailers.

Vote: majority Appropriation: no Fiscal committee: no Local program: no

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

Existing law, the Lockyer-Polanco-Farr Pet Protection Act, requires dealers of dogs and cats to comply with its provisions, including maintaining certain health and safety standards for pets and providing purchasers and prospective purchasers of pets, upon request, with written notice of consumer rights concerning the sale of a pet, including information about available refunds and other remedies. Existing law provides civil penalties for a violation of the act, up to $1,000 per violation, except in certain cases, and allows such an action to be prosecuted by the district attorney or city attorney, as specified.

This bill would prohibit an online pet retailer, as defined, from offering, brokering, making a referral for, or otherwise facilitating a loan or other financing option for the adoption or sale of a dog, cat, or rabbit. The bill would not apply to a loan or other financing option for the purchase of a service animal.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

Section 122191 is added to the Health and Safety Code, to read:

122191.

(a) For the purposes of this section, “online pet retailer” means a person engaged in the business of selling dogs, cats, or rabbits, at retail, online through an internet website.

(b) An online pet retailer shall not offer, broker, make a referral for, or otherwise facilitate a loan or other financing option for the adoption or sale of a dog, cat, or rabbit.