An Act to Address the Rise in Rabies in Animals by Appointing
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 0528
Committee: Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry
Sponsors: DOUDERA, TALBOT ROSS
Amends: 7 MRSA §1808-A, 7 MRSA §3906-B, 7 MRSA §3907, 7 MRSA §3916, 7 MRSA §3917, 7 MRSA §3920, 7 MRSA §3922, 7 MRSA §3923-B

Legislative Document
No. 528
H.P. 347
House of Representatives, February 11, 2025
An Act to Address the Rise in Rabies in Animals by Appointing 
Certified Rabies Vaccine Administrators
Reference to the Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry suggested and 
ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative DOUDERA of Camden.
Cosponsored by Senator TALBOT ROSS of Cumberland and
Representatives: DILL of Old Town, FROST of Belgrade, MEYER of Eliot, OSHER of 
Orono, PLUECKER of Warren, Senator: TEPLER of Sagadahoc.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  7 MRSA §1808-A, 2nd ¶, as enacted by PL 2001, c. 308, §1, is amended 
to read:
An animal vaccinated against rabies by a person who is not a licensed veterinarian, a 
certified rabies vaccinator appointed and certified pursuant to section 3920 or under the 
direct supervision of a licensed veterinarian may not be certified as vaccinated against 
rabies and must be treated as an unvaccinated animal under Title 22, chapter 251, 
subchapter 5 and rules adopted pursuant to that chapter.
Sec. 2.  7 MRSA §3906-B, sub-§18 is enacted to read:
18.  Training of person appointed by commissioner to vaccinate animals.  The 
commissioner, in consultation with veterinarians employed by the State, shall develop a 
program to train a person appointed by the commissioner as provided under section 3920 
to vaccinate animals. The program must include, but is not limited to, training relating to 
properly storing and administering rabies vaccines; issuing rabies certificates; and 
providing information to an owner or keeper of an animal to be vaccinated.
The commissioner shall certify a person who satisfactorily completes the training program.
Sec. 3.  7 MRSA §3907, sub-§9-C is enacted to read:
9-C.  Certified rabies vaccinator.  "Certified rabies vaccinator" means a person 
appointed and certified to administer rabies vaccine to animals pursuant to section 3920.
Sec. 4.  7 MRSA §3916, as amended by PL 2021, c. 99, §§6 and 7, is further amended 
to read:
§3916.  Rabies vaccinations
1.  Required for cats.  Except as provided in subsection 4, an owner or keeper of a cat 
over 3 months of age must shall have that cat vaccinated against rabies.  Rabies The rabies 
vaccine must be administered by a licensed veterinarian or under the supervision of a 
licensed veterinarian or by a certified rabies vaccinator.  Upon receiving an initial 
vaccination, a cat is considered protected for one year and an owner or keeper of that cat 
must shall get a booster vaccination for that cat one year after the initial vaccination and 
subsequent booster vaccinations at intervals that do not exceed the intervals recommended 
by a national association of state public health veterinarians for the type of vaccine 
administered.
1-A.  Required for dogs.   Except as provided in subsection 4, an owner or keeper of 
a dog, within 30 days after the dog attains the age of 3 months of age, shall have that dog 
vaccinated against rabies.  The rabies vaccine must be administered by a licensed 
veterinarian or under the supervision of a licensed veterinarian or by a certified rabies 
vaccinator.  Upon receiving an initial vaccination, a dog is considered protected for one 
year and an owner or keeper of that dog shall get a booster vaccination for that dog one 
year after the initial vaccination and subsequent booster vaccinations at intervals that do 
not exceed the intervals recommended by a national association of state public health 
veterinarians for the type of vaccine administered.  A wolf hybrid is required to be 
vaccinated in accordance with this subsection.  The procedure prescribed under Title 22, 
chapter 251, subchapter 5 for a wolf hybrid suspected of having rabies does not change 
based on proof that the wolf hybrid has received a rabies vaccination.
2.  Certificate.  A licensed veterinarian who vaccinates or supervises the vaccination 
of a cat or dog or a certified rabies vaccinator who vaccinates a cat or dog shall issue to the 
owner or keeper a certificate of rabies vaccination approved by the State and shall indicate 
on the certificate the date by which a booster vaccination is required pursuant to subsection 
or 1‑A, whichever is applicable.
2-A.  Notice to department.  A veterinarian or certified rabies vaccinator who issues 
a certificate of rabies vaccination for a dog pursuant to subsection 2 shall, within 30 days 
of issuing the certificate, forward by mail, e-mail or fax a copy of that certificate to the 
department.  The department shall send a copy of the certificate by mail, e-mail or fax to 
the clerk of the municipality in which the owner or keeper resides.  If the owner or keeper 
resides in the unorganized territory, the department shall send a copy of the certificate to 
the dog recorder in that unorganized territory or, in the absence of a duly authorized dog 
recorder, to the dog recorder in the nearest municipality or unorganized territory in the 
same county in which the owner or keeper resides.  The department may retain a copy or 
electronic record of the rabies certificate.  The department may accumulate certificates 
received and distribute them periodically to the appropriate municipalities and dog 
recorders.  Distributions must be made no fewer than 4 times a year.
3.  Enforcement.  A humane agent, an animal control officer or a law enforcement 
officer may ask an owner or keeper of a cat or dog to present proof of a certificate of rabies 
vaccination from the State.
4.  Exception.  Notwithstanding any provision of this chapter to the contrary, an animal 
shelter operated by a nonprofit organization is not required to vaccinate an abandoned or 
stray cat or dog received by the shelter.
An owner or keeper of a cat or dog is exempt from the requirements of subsection 1 or 1-A, 
whichever is applicable, if a medical reason exists that precludes the vaccination of the cat 
or dog.  To qualify for this exemption, the owner or keeper must have a written statement 
signed by a licensed veterinarian that includes a description of the cat or dog and the 
medical reason that precludes the vaccination.
Sec. 5.  7 MRSA §3917, sub-§1, as amended by PL 1993, c. 468, §10, is further 
amended to read:
1.  Clinic establishment.  The department shall facilitate the establishment of low-cost 
antirabies clinics at locations and on dates as appropriate.  At least one low-cost antirabies 
clinic must be conducted annually in each county.  In facilitating the establishment of 
antirabies clinics, the department shall cooperate with local veterinarians and local 
organizations.  When other arrangements can not cannot be made for a licensed veterinarian 
to vaccinate or to supervise vaccinations by an animal technician at a low-cost clinic, a 
veterinarian employed by the department or a certified rabies vaccinator shall administer 
the vaccinations.
Sec. 6.  7 MRSA §3920 is enacted to read:
§3920.  Certified rabies vaccinator
1.  Appointment and certification.  Except as provided in subsection 5, the 
commissioner, in consultation with the Animal Welfare Advisory Council, as established 
by Title 5, section 12004-I, subsection 2-C and as described in section 3906-C, shall 
appoint one or more persons in each county to administer rabies vaccines to animals.  Upon 
initial appointment, a person must complete training in accordance with section 3906-B, 
subsection 18 in order to become a certified rabies vaccinator.  A certified rabies vaccinator 
serves in a volunteer capacity unless the person is an employee of the State or an animal 
shelter licensed under section 3932-A.  A humane agent may serve as a certified rabies 
vaccinator.  A certified rabies vaccinator is authorized to act until termination of 
appointment by the commissioner or until resignation of the certified rabies vaccinator.  
2.  Scope and duration.  A certified rabies vaccinator shall acknowledge in writing 
that the certified rabies vaccinator understands the scope and duration of service.  
3.  Immunity from civil liability.  A certified rabies vaccinator is not civilly liable to 
any party for actions made in accordance with this chapter.
4.  Rulemaking.  The commissioner shall adopt rules to establish procedures for 
appointment and certification of certified rabies vaccinators.  Rules adopted pursuant to 
this section are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.
5.  Animal shelter requests.   An animal shelter licensed under section 3932-A may 
submit a request to the commissioner that a member of the animal shelter's staff be 
appointed as a certified rabies vaccinator in a limited capacity.  The request must be 
submitted in writing by the animal shelter's veterinarian of reference.  A certified rabies 
vaccinator authorized under this subsection may administer vaccines only to animals in the 
care of the animal shelter or at an antirabies clinic established pursuant to section 3917.
Sec. 7.  7 MRSA §3922, sub-§3, as amended by PL 2007, c. 439, §12, is further 
amended to read:
3.  Proof of immunization.  A municipal clerk may not issue a license for a dog until 
the applicant has filed with the clerk proof that the dog has been immunized against rabies 
as provided in section 3916, subsection 1-A and in accordance with rules adopted by the 
Commissioner of Health and Human Services, except that the requirement of immunization 
may be waived by the clerk under conditions set forth by the Commissioner of Health and 
Human Services.
The commissioner shall adopt rules that allow the clerk and the commissioner to accept 
valid proof of immunization against rabies provided by another state.
Sec. 8.  7 MRSA §3923-B, sub-§2-A, as enacted by PL 1999, c. 254, §5, is amended 
to read:
2-A.  Rabies tags.  An owner or keeper shall ensure that a rabies tag obtained from a 
veterinarian or a certified rabies vaccinator for immunization against rabies is securely 
attached to a collar of leather, metal or material of comparable strength and that the collar 
is worn at all times by the dog for which the rabies tag was issued, except as provided in 
subsection 3.
SUMMARY
This bill directs the Commissioner of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry to 
appoint one or more persons in each county to administer rabies vaccines to animals and to 
develop a training program for this purpose.