Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman VALERIE VAINIERI HUTTLE
District 37 (Bergen)
Assemblyman RONALD S. DANCER
District 12 (Burlington, Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean)
Assemblyman DANIEL R. BENSON
District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman Murphy and Assemblyman Johnson
SYNOPSIS
Requires institutions of higher education to offer cats and dogs no longer used for educational, research, or scientific purposes to animal rescue organizations for adoption.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning the disposition of cats and dogs used by institutions of higher education for educational, research, or scientific purposes, and supplementing Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. An institution of higher education, or a facility that conducts research in collaboration with an institution of higher education, that uses cats or dogs for educational, research, or scientific purposes, before euthanizing a cat or dog that is no longer to be used for such purposes, shall first offer the cat or dog to an animal rescue organization for adoption, provided that euthanizing the cat or dog is not required for health or safety reasons. An institution or facility required to offer cats or dogs to an animal rescue organization pursuant to this section may enter into an agreement with an animal rescue organization to implement this section on an on-going basis.
b. An institution or facility that provides a cat or dog to an animal rescue organization pursuant to this section shall be immune from any civil liability arising from the transfer of the cat or dog, provided the institution or facility has acted in good faith concerning the health and physical condition of the cat or dog.
c. As used in this section, “animal rescue organization” means the same as that term is defined in section 1 of P.L.1941, c.151 (C.4:19-15.1).
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill would require institutions of higher education, and related research facilities, to offer cats and dogs no longer used for educational, research, or scientific purposes to animal rescue organizations for adoption prior to euthanizing the animals. The bill would not apply to cats or dogs that are required to be euthanized for health or safety reasons. Under the bill, an institution or facility that is required to offer cats or dogs for adoption through an animal rescue organization may enter into an agreement with an animal rescue organization to meet this requirement on an on-going basis. Also, under the bill, an institution or facility that provides a cat or dog to an animal rescue organization would be immune from any civil liability resulting from the transfer of the animal, provided the institution or facility acted in good faith concerning the health and physical condition of the cat or dog.