House Passes Animal Welfare Bill

The Massachusetts House of Representatives today passed legislation to strengthen animal welfare, modernize veterinary care, improve consumer protections, and support responsible pet ownership across the Commonwealth.

"This legislation modernizes the Commonwealth’s animal welfare laws while supporting responsible pet ownership, strengthening veterinary care, protecting consumers, and while ensuring stronger enforcement of existing animal protection laws," said House Speaker Ronald J. Mariano (D-Quincy). "I want to thank Chairman Lewis and the many bill sponsors for their work on this legislation, as well as all my colleagues in the House for recognizing the need for these important reforms.”

“If there is any issue that we can all agree on, it’s that all of our furry friends deserve long, happy lives,” said Representative Jack Patrick Lewis (D-Framingham), House Chair of the Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government. “This legislation is a strong step towards that goal. We are employing robust measures to promote good caretaking and penalize bad actors, such as expanding policy related to veterinary technicians and pet insurance, banning the use of animals in household product safety research, and adding new oversight to the kennel industry. I am especially proud of the wide bipartisan support that this bill garnered, highlighting our collective unity on this issue. Thank you to Speaker Mariano, Chairman Michlewitz, and the many legislators that contributed to this outstanding legislation.”

The bill also modernizes the Commonwealth's dog licensing and kennel oversight laws by strengthening inspection requirements, by improving reporting from licensing authorities, and by ensuring that dogs housed in kennels are properly licensed. The legislation provides practical updates for licensed kennels by allowing alternative forms of identification, such as microchips, under specified circumstances, while maintaining accountability and traceability for animals in their care.

To strengthen animal protection, the legislation establishes a clearer legal process for addressing cases of animal neglect. Law enforcement and animal control officers will be able to petition courts for timely intervention when animals are suffering from neglect, allowing courts to order appropriate care, remove animals from dangerous situations when necessary, or permanently prohibit individuals from owning animals in serious cases.

The bill strengthens protections for animals used in research by expanding adoption opportunities for dogs and cats after research concludes, and by increasing public reporting. The bill prohibits a manufacturer or contract testing facility from using a traditional animal test method if there is an alternative test method when testing a product, product formulation, chemical or ingredient. The bill also updates Massachusetts law governing pet insurance by adopting nationally recognized consumer protection standards.

The legislation establishes a statewide pet ownership program for older adults living in public housing. The program prohibits blanket bans on pets while allowing housing authorities to adopt reasonable pet policies that protect residents, animals, and housing facilities. An advisory group will develop recommendations to support the implementation of the program.

The bill further improves accessibility for individuals with disabilities by establishing meaningful penalties for transportation network companies (TNC) and drivers who unlawfully refuse service to riders accompanied by service animals, and ensuring stronger enforcement of existing accessibility requirements.

The bill creates a statewide licensing framework for veterinary technicians under the Board of Registration in Veterinary Medicine. The legislation expands the Board to include licensed veterinary technicians, establishes professional licensing standards, creates temporary licensure pathways, and provides a transition period to ensure the profession is fully licensed by 2031.

The legislation makes significant investments in animal health and welfare by expanding the allowable uses of the Homeless Animal Prevention and Care Fund, and by directing additional revenue from animal health and livestock disease enforcement fines into the fund to support programs that improve animal care throughout Massachusetts.

The bill passed the House of Representatives 151-1 and now goes back to the Senate for further consideration.