ASSEMBLY, No. 3673

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

218th LEGISLATURE

 

INTRODUCED MARCH 13, 2018

 


 

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman  CAROL A. MURPHY

District 7 (Burlington)

Assemblyman  RONALD S. DANCER

District 12 (Burlington, Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean)

Assemblyman  KEVIN J. ROONEY

District 40 (Bergen, Essex, Morris and Passaic)

 

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblyman Houghtaling and Assemblywoman Downey

 

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

     Requires disclosure of identifying information prior to sale of horse at auction.

 

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     As introduced.

  


An Act concerning the sale of horses at auction, and supplementing Title 4 of the Revised Statutes.

 

     Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

 

     1.    a.   Before any horse may be sold at an auction, the auction organizer shall determine whether the horse has an implanted microchip or has been tattooed or branded with any identifying mark.  If the horse has an implanted microchip, tattoo, or brand, the auction organizer shall post, on its Internet website, all identifying information, including any identification number contained in the microchip and a detailed description or picture of any tattoo or brand found on the horse.

     b.    No horse shall be offered for sale at an auction before 72 hours have elapsed following posting of the horse’s identifying information on the auction organizer’s Internet website.

     c.     For a minimum of one year following the date of sale, for each horse sold at auction, an auction organizer shall maintain appropriate records which accurately document compliance with this section, including:

     (1)   the presence or absence of a microchip, tattoo, or brand;

     (2)   the date and time of the posting of the information required by this section; and

     (3)   the date and time each horse was sold at auction. 

     d.    Any person who violates this section shall be subject to a civil penalty up to $200 for the first offense and up to $500 for the second and each subsequent offense, to be collected in a civil action by a summary proceeding under the “Penalty Enforcement Law of 1999,” P.L.1999, c.274 (C.2A:58-10 et seq.).

 

     2.    This act shall take effect immediately.

 

 

STATEMENT

 

     This bill would require that, before any horse may be sold at an auction, the auction organizer determine whether the horse has an implanted microchip, or has been tattooed or branded with any identifying mark.  If the horse has an implanted microchip, tattoo, or brand, the auction organizer would be required to post, on its Internet website, all identifying information including any identification number contained in the microchip and a detailed description or picture of any tattoo or brand found on the horse.  This information would be required to be posted no later than 72 hours before the horse is sold at an auction.

     To document compliance with the provisions of this bill, auction organizers would be required to maintain records for each horse sold at auction, including:  the presence or absence of a microchip, tattoo, or brand; the date and time of the posting of the information required by the bill; and the date and time each horse was sold at auction.  An auction organizer would be required to maintain these records for a minimum of one year following the date of sale.

     Any person found to be in violation of this bill would be subject to a civil penalty up to $200 for a first offense and up to $500 for a second and each subsequent offense.