HB 296 — An Act providing for prohibition on sale of dogs and cats bred by certain persons, for duty of persons, kennels and animal testing facilities to offer dogs and cats for adoption and for whistleblower protection; and imposing penalties.

PRINTER'S NO.    240

                    THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                        HOUSE BILL
                        No. 296
                                               Session of
                                                 2025

     INTRODUCED BY BIZZARRO, McNEILL, SHUSTERMAN, HILL-EVANS, PIELLI,
        SANCHEZ, ISAACSON, KENYATTA, CERRATO, KHAN, GIRAL, STEELE,
        HOHENSTEIN, DONAHUE, SCHLOSSBERG, HOWARD, DALEY, GREEN AND
        MADDEN, JANUARY 23, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE AND RURAL AFFAIRS,
        JANUARY 23, 2025


                                     AN ACT
 1   Providing for prohibition on sale of dogs and cats bred by
 2      certain persons, for duty of persons, kennels and animal
 3      testing facilities to offer dogs and cats for adoption and
 4      for whistleblower protection; and imposing penalties.
 5      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 6   hereby enacts as follows:
 7   Section 1.   Short title.
 8      This act shall be known and may be cited as the Beagle
 9   Freedom Act.
10   Section 2.   Definitions.
11      The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
12   have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
13   context clearly indicates otherwise:
14      "Animal testing facility."    A facility, including a private
15   entity, State agency or an institution of higher education, that
16   confines and uses dogs or cats for research, education, testing
17   or other scientific or medical purposes. The term shall include
 1   any of the following:
 2          (1)     A kennel or facility subject to the Public Health
 3      Service Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals
 4      provided for under 42 U.S.C. Ch. 6A (relating to public
 5      health service).
 6          (2)     A kennel or facility subject to the provisions of 21
 7      CFR Pt. 58 (relating to good laboratory practice for
 8      nonclinical laboratory studies), 21 U.S.C. Ch. 9 (relating to
 9      Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act) or 42 U.S.C. Ch. 6A.
10          (3)     A research kennel licensed under the Dog law.
11      "Dealer."    A person that in the regular course of business
12   for compensation or profit buys, sells, transfers, exchanges or
13   barters dogs and cats. The term does not include any of the
14   following:
15          (1)     A person that transports companion animals in the
16      regular course of business as a common carrier.
17          (2)     A person with a primary purpose of finding permanent
18      adoptive homes for companion animals.
19      "Department."    The Department of Agriculture of the
20   Commonwealth.
21      "Dog Law."    The act of December 7, 1982 (P.L.784, No.225),
22   known as the Dog Law.
23      "Kennel."    As defined in section 102 of the Dog Law.
24      "Police officer."    As defined in section 102 of the Dog Law.
25      "Releasing agency."    As defined in section 901-A of the Dog
26   Law.
27      "Research."    As defined in section 102 of the Dog Law.
28      "Research kennel."    As defined in section 102 of the Dog Law.
29      "State dog warden."    As defined in section 102 of the Dog
30   Law.

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 1   Section 3.     Prohibition on sale of dogs and cats bred by certain
 2                  persons.
 3      Notwithstanding the provisions of section 908 of the Dog Law,
 4   a dealer or kennel may not sell or offer for sale, including a
 5   sale for research purposes, a dog or cat bred by a person that
 6   has received any of the following from the United States
 7   Department of Agriculture as authorized under 7 U.S.C. Ch. 54
 8   (relating to transportation, sale, and handling of certain
 9   animals):
10            (1)   A citation for a direct or critical violation or
11      citations for three or more indirect or noncritical
12      violations during the two-year period before the procurement
13      of the dog or cat.
14            (2)   Two consecutive citations for no access to a housing
15      facility before the procurement of the dog or cat.
16   Section 4.     Duty of persons, kennels and animal testing
17                  facilities to offer dogs and cats for adoption.
18      (a)   Duties.--
19            (1)   If a person, kennel or animal testing facility
20      specified under paragraph (2) does not have a need for a dog
21      or cat in its possession and the dog or cat does not pose a
22      health or safety risk to the public or the welfare of the dog
23      or cat, the person, kennel or animal testing facility shall
24      offer for release the dog or cat to a releasing agency for
25      eventual adoption or for adoption through a private
26      placement. In the case of an animal testing facility operated
27      by a State agency or an institution of higher education, the
28      animal testing facility may develop its own adoption program.
29            (2)   Paragraph (1) shall apply only to the following:
30                  (i)   A person that raises cats regulated under

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 1            Federal law as research animals or sells or transfers
 2            cats to an animal testing facility.
 3                  (ii)    A kennel that breeds dogs regulated under
 4            Federal law as research animals.
 5                  (iii)    A kennel that sells or transfers dogs to an
 6            animal testing facility or a research kennel.
 7                  (iv)    An animal testing facility.
 8            (3)   A person, kennel or animal testing facility subject
 9      to this subsection shall keep the offer for release under
10      paragraph (1) available for a reasonable period of time for a
11      duration of up to 21 days before euthanizing a dog or cat
12      specified under paragraph (1).
13      (b)   Implementation.--A person, kennel or animal testing
14   facility under subsection (a) may enter into an agreement with a
15   releasing agency to implement the requirements under subsection
16   (a).
17      (c)   Liability.--A person, kennel or animal testing facility
18   under subsection (a) shall not be liable for civil damages for a
19   dog or cat adopted under subsection (a).
20      (d)   Annual reports.--A person, kennel or animal testing
21   facility under subsection (a) shall annually submit a report to
22   the department stating the number of dogs and cats adopted under
23   subsection (a) and the name of each releasing agency utilized by
24   the person, kennel or animal testing facility.
25   Section 5.     Recordkeeping requirements for persons and kennels
26                  engaged in the raising of dogs or cats for research
27                  purposes.
28      (a)   Requirements.--
29            (1)   A person or kennel specified under paragraph (2) and
30      engaged in the raising of dogs or cats for research purposes

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 1      shall keep accurate records of all of the following:
 2                  (i)    A dog or cat purchased, acquired, owned, held or
 3            otherwise in the possession or control of the person or
 4            kennel.
 5                  (ii)    A dog or cat transported, euthanized, sold or
 6            otherwise disposed of during the two-year period from the
 7            date of the purchase, acquisition, transfer or
 8            disposition of the dog or cat.
 9            (2)   Paragraph (1) shall apply only to the following:
10                  (i)    A person that raises cats regulated under
11            Federal law as research animals or sells or transfers
12            cats to an animal testing facility.
13                  (ii)    A kennel that breeds dogs regulated under
14            Federal law as research animals.
15                  (iii)    A kennel that sells or transfers dogs to an
16            animal testing facility or a research kennel.
17      (b)   Records.--The records under subsection (a) shall include
18   all of the following:
19            (1)   The name and address of the person from whom a dog
20      or cat was purchased or acquired and the person's license or
21      registration number if the person is licensed or registered
22      under 7 U.S.C. Ch. 54 (relating to transportation, sale, and
23      handling of certain animals).
24            (2)   The date on which a dog or cat was purchased or
25      acquired.
26            (3)   The name and address of the person to whom a dog or
27      cat was sold, given or transferred and the person's license
28      or registration number if the person is licensed or
29      registered under 7 U.S.C. Ch. 54.
30            (4)   The official United States Department of

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 1      Agriculture's tag number or tattoo assigned to a dog or cat
 2      under 7 U.S.C. Ch. 54.
 3             (5)    A description of a dog or cat, including all of the
 4      following:
 5                    (i)    The species and breed or type.
 6                    (ii)    The sex.
 7                    (iii)    The date of birth or approximate age.
 8                    (iv)    The color and distinctive markings.
 9             (6)    The date and number of offspring born of a dog or
10      cat while in the possession or under the control of the
11      person or kennel.
12             (7)    Medical care and vaccinations provided to a dog or
13      cat.
14             (8)    The date and method of disposition of a dog or cat,
15      including the sale, death and cause of death of the dog or
16      cat if the disposition is not euthanasia, adoption or
17      transfer.
18             (9)    The number of dogs or cats in the possession of the
19      person or kennel that the person or kennel does not need.
20             (10)    The number of dogs or cats described under
21      paragraph (9) that have been offered for transfer to a
22      releasing agency for eventual adoption or for adoption
23      through private placement.
24      (c)    Inspections.--A person or kennel subject to subsection
25   (a) shall ensure that the records under subsection (a) are
26   legible and the records shall be open to inspection and may be
27   copied by an employee of the department, State dog warden or
28   police officer.
29      (d)    Submission.--A person or kennel subject to subsection
30   (a) shall annually submit a summary of the records under

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 1   subsection (a) to the department in a form determined by the
 2   department.
 3   Section 6.    Whistleblower protection.
 4      An employee of a person, dealer, kennel, animal testing
 5   facility, private entity, State agency or institution of higher
 6   education subject to this act shall be deemed to be an employee
 7   under the act of December 12, 1986 (P.L.1559, No.169), known as
 8   the Whistleblower Law, with regard to a good faith report of a
 9   potential violation of this act, the Dog Law or 7 U.S.C. Ch. 54
10   (relating to transportation, sale, and handling of certain
11   animals). A dealer, kennel, animal testing facility, private
12   entity, State agency or institution of higher education subject
13   to this act shall be deemed to be an employer under the
14   Whistleblower Law with regard to a good faith report of a
15   potential violation of this act, the Dog Law or 7 U.S.C. Ch. 54.
16   Section 7.    Annual report.
17      No later than July 1, 2026, and each July 1 thereafter, the
18   department shall submit a report summarizing the information
19   collected under this act and complaints, enforcement activities
20   and penalties authorized under this act to the following:
21          (1)    The chair and minority chair of the Agriculture and
22      Rural Affairs Committee of the Senate.
23          (2)    The chair and minority chair of the Agriculture and
24      Rural Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives.
25   Section 8.    Penalties.
26      A violation of this act shall constitute a misdemeanor of the
27   third degree.
28   Section 9.    Regulations.
29      The department may promulgate regulations as necessary to
30   implement this act.

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1   Section 10.   Effective date.
2      This act shall take effect in 120 days.




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