Illinois General Assembly - Bill Status for HB0315

Creates the Illinois Public Health and Safety Animal Population Control Act. Requires the Department of Public Health to develop and administer a program of reimbursements to veterinarians for the sterilization and rabies vaccination of the dogs and cats of low-income owners and feral cat colony caretakers. Requires a co-payment by the owner or feral cat colony caretaker. Funds the program through a voluntary individual income tax checkoff and a $3 fee on each rabies vaccination required by the Animal Control Act. Authorizes administrative fines for violations of the program. Amends the State Finance Act to create the necessary special fund within the State treasury and amends the Illinois Income Tax Act to establish the checkoff. Amends the Animal Control Act. Requires (now, authorizes) a county board to require the registration of dogs and cats. Imposes a $100 fine for failure to register. Requires that the fine be divided between the local animal control fund and the Illinois Public Health and Safety Animal Population Control Fund. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement. Effective immediately.

Deletes everything. Reinserts the bill with the following changes: Provides that the bill may be referred to as the Anna Cieslewicz Act. In the new Act, exempts farm dogs from the requirement that they be registered and that a fee be collected upon their registration. Requires the Department of Public Health to award grants to counties and municipalities that offer sterilization services. Requires that 20% of the special fund be set aside for those grants. In the Animal Control Act, removes the requirement that a county board require registration of dogs and cats. Exempts farm dogs from any registration required by a county. Removes the change to the State Mandates Act.

Repeals the new Act December 31, 2012. Makes conforming changes in the amendatory provisions of the other Acts.

Deletes everything after the enacting clause. Creates the Illinois Public Health and Safety Animal Population Control Act. Requires the Department of Public Health to at least partially reimburse veterinarians for the rabies immunization or sterilization of dogs and cats owned by eligible low-income persons. Funds the program through an income tax check-off, fees from Pet Friendly license plates, and various fines imposed under the Animal Control Act. Amends the Animal Control Act. Makes various changes to impose the additional fees, further regulate dangerous dogs, and promote county animal population control programs. Amends the State Finance Act, the Illinois Income Tax Act, and the Illinois Vehicles Code to make conforming changes. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement. Effective immediately.

In the new Act, with respect to the eligibility of owners, specifies that the qualifying Disability Insurance Benefits Program is the Social Security Disability Insurance Benefits Program. In the Animal Control Act, changes from $15 to $10 the minimum differential for intact animals that the county must include in its individual dog or cat registration fee.

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