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| 1 | SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION
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| 2 | WHEREAS, The unintended or uncontrolled breeding of cats | ||||||
| 3 | leads to the births of thousands of kittens annually, many of | ||||||
| 4 | whom become feral cats, often referred to as "community cats"; | ||||||
| 5 | and
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| 6 | WHEREAS, There is a need to preserve wildlife, improve cat | ||||||
| 7 | welfare, maintain property rights, and enhance public health by | ||||||
| 8 | humanely managing and limiting the growth of the number of | ||||||
| 9 | feral cats in Illinois; and
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| 10 | WHEREAS, Feral cats are often impounded and killed, at | ||||||
| 11 | great expense to the community; and
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| 12 | WHEREAS, The eradication approach used for generations has | ||||||
| 13 | failed to adequately address the issue of feral cats, thereby | ||||||
| 14 | requiring a more effective approach; and
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| 15 | WHEREAS, Trap, neuter, vaccinate, and return programs that | ||||||
| 16 | provide humane and effective methods to manage and limit the | ||||||
| 17 | growth of the number of feral or community cats, prevent the | ||||||
| 18 | spread of rabies, and improve the cats' quality of life, are | ||||||
| 19 | recognized as beneficial and popular approaches; and | ||||||
| 20 | WHEREAS, Management of feral cats is also affected by local | ||||||
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| 1 | government ordinances; and | ||||||
| 2 | WHEREAS, Communities in other states have developed | ||||||
| 3 | successful programs to manage feral cats; and
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| 4 | WHEREAS, Numerous Good Samaritans and farmers provide | ||||||
| 5 | life-sustaining care for feral or community cats and are not, | ||||||
| 6 | according to the Illinois Animal Control Act, considered owners | ||||||
| 7 | of the cats; therefore, be it
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| 8 | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL | ||||||
| 9 | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES | ||||||
| 10 | CONCURRING HEREIN, that a Feral Cat Task Force be appointed to | ||||||
| 11 | examine the Animal Control Act, the Humane Care for Animals | ||||||
| 12 | Act, and the Animal Welfare Act and any other relevant | ||||||
| 13 | statutory provisions and make comprehensive written | ||||||
| 14 | recommendations for change that would result in the effective | ||||||
| 15 | management of feral and community cats; and be it further | ||||||
| 16 | RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall consist of the | ||||||
| 17 | following members: | ||||||
| 18 | (1) the President of the Senate, or his designee; | ||||||
| 19 | (2) the Speaker of the House or his designee; | ||||||
| 20 | (3) the Minority Leader of the Senate or her designee; | ||||||
| 21 | (4) the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives or | ||||||
| 22 | his designee; | ||||||
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| 1 | (5) a representative appointed by the Department of | ||||||
| 2 | Agriculture; | ||||||
| 3 | (6) a representative appointed by the Department of Natural | ||||||
| 4 | Resources; | ||||||
| 5 | (7) a representative appointed by the Illinois State | ||||||
| 6 | Veterinary Medical Association; | ||||||
| 7 | (8) a representative appointed by the Illinois | ||||||
| 8 | Environmental Council; | ||||||
| 9 | (9) a representative who is a county animal control | ||||||
| 10 | administrator from a county of over 4 million residents; | ||||||
| 11 | (10) a representative who is on the Board of the Alliance | ||||||
| 12 | for Contraception in Cats & Dogs (ACCD) appointed by the | ||||||
| 13 | University of Illinois School of Veterinary Medicine; | ||||||
| 14 | (11) a representative appointed by Best Friends Animal | ||||||
| 15 | Society; | ||||||
| 16 | (12) a representative appointed by the Illinois Farm | ||||||
| 17 | Bureau; | ||||||
| 18 | (13) a representative appointed by the Illinois Humane | ||||||
| 19 | Society; | ||||||
| 20 | (14) a representative appointed by the Sierra Club; | ||||||
| 21 | (15) a representative appointed by the National Wildlife | ||||||
| 22 | Federation; | ||||||
| 23 | (16) a representative appointed by the County Animal | ||||||
| 24 | Controls of Illinois representing a county with a | ||||||
| 25 | population of less than 2 million; | ||||||
| 26 | (17) a representative from the Tree House Humane Society; | ||||||
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| 1 | and | ||||||
| 2 | (18) a representative from the Animal Protective League of | ||||||
| 3 | Springfield; and be it further | ||||||
| 4 | RESOLVED, That the Task Force members shall select a | ||||||
| 5 | Chairperson from among themselves; and be it further | ||||||
| 6 | RESOLVED, That appointments to the Task Force must be made | ||||||
| 7 | by July 1, 2016; and be it further | ||||||
| 8 | RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall hold at least 3 | ||||||
| 9 | hearings, which shall each be held in geographically separate | ||||||
| 10 | regions of the State; and be it further | ||||||
| 11 | RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall present a written | ||||||
| 12 | report to the Senate and the House of Representatives no later | ||||||
| 13 | than December 31, 2016; and be it further | ||||||
| 14 | RESOLVED, That the Task Force members shall receive no | ||||||
| 15 | compensation, and shall conclude all business by January 1, | ||||||
| 16 | 2017; and be it further | ||||||
| 17 | RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be | ||||||
| 18 | delivered to the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the | ||||||
| 19 | House, the Minority Leader of the Senate, and the Minority | ||||||
| 20 | Leader of the House of Representatives.
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