An Act To
Maine Legislature, Session 128, LD 1593
Committee Amendment CA_A_H446 (House)

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" A "to H.P. 1097, L.D. 1593, Bill, "An Act To 
Amend the Animal Welfare Laws To Add Provisions Relating to the Surrender of 
Animals" 
Amend the bill in section I in subsection 11 by striking out all of the last paragraph 
(page 1, lines 9 to 17 in L.D.) and inserting the following: 
'The commissioner may decide, based on the facts of a patticular case, to waive costs and 
fees associated with the surrender of animals, and may further decide that the case should 
not be sent to the attorney for the State, if the person who is the subject of the 
investigation has voluntarily surrendered the animals to the department and if the person 
has not previously been charged with cruelty to animals or charged with animal neglect. 
The commissioner may not waive costs and fees associated with the surrender of animals 
or decide that the case should not be sent to the attorney for the State, unless the person 
agrees to sign an affidavit stating that the person will never again possess or own any 
animals of the same species as the animals that were surrendered until the person can 
properly care for them and has the financial capacity to properly care for them, as 
determined by the commissioner .
Amend the bill in section 2 by striking out all of subsection 1-A (page 1, lines 19 to 
in L.D.) and inserting the following: 
'1-A. Surrender of animals. The commissioner may decide, based on the facts of a 
particular case. to waive costs and fees associated with the surrender of animals. and may 
further decide that the case should not be sent to the attorney for the State. if the person 
who is the subject of the investigation has voluntarily surrendered the animals to the 
Department of Agriculture. Conservation and Forestty and if the person has not 
previously been charged with cruelty to animals or charged with animal neglect. The 
commissioner may not waive costs and fees associated with the surrender of animals or 
decide that the case should not be sent to the attorney for the State. unless the person 
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agrees to sign an affidavit stating that the person will never again possess or own any 
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animals of the same species as the animals that were surrendered until the person can 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
IROFS 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT «A" to H.P. 1097, L.D. 1593 
properly care for them and has the financial capacity to properly care for them, as 
detennined by the commissioner.' 
SUMMARY 
Under the bill, the Commissioner of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry may 
decide, based on the facts of a particular case, to waive costs and fees associated with the 
surrender of animals, and may further decide that the case should not be sent to the 
attorney for the State, if the person who is the subject of the investigation has voluntarily 
surrendered the animals to the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry and 
if the person has not previously been charged with cruelty to animals or charged with 
animal neglect. Under the bill, if the commissioner waives costs and fees associated with 
the surrender of animals or decides that the case should not be sent to the attorney for the 
State, the commissioner must require the person to sign an affidavit stating that the 
person will never again possess or own any animals of the same species as the animals 
that were surrendered. 
This amendment is the majority report of the committee and provides that the 
commissioner may not waive costs and fees associated with the surrender of animals or 
decide that the case should not be sent to the attorney for the State unless the person 
agrees to sign an affidavit stating that the person will never again possess or own any 
animals of the same species as the animals that were surrendered until the person can 
properly care for them and has the financial capacity to properly care for them, as 
determined by the commissioner. 
FJSCAL NOTE REQUJRED 
(See Attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 05/31/17 feac:.. 
LD 1593 
LR2255(02) 
An Act To Amend the Animal Welfare Laws To Add Provisions Relating to the Surrender of Animals 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment 14
( H-'11 b) 
Committee: Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry 
Fiscal Note Require4: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Minor cost increase - General Fund 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Any additional costs to the Department of Agriculture, Conservatio!). and Forestry as a result of modifications to the 
laws regarding animal welfare and the surrender of animals are anticipated to be minor and can be absorbed within 
existing budgeted resources. 
LR2255(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1