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House Committee approves bill clarifying trapping, spaying/neutering of feral cats not abandonment
Summary
The House Committee on Judiciary voted to pass House Bill 5025, which specifies that trapping and releasing unowned, feral or free-roaming cats for the purpose of spaying or neutering is not abandonment under state animal-cruelty law.
The House Committee on Judiciary voted Tuesday to pass House Bill 5025, sponsored by Representative Edwards, clarifying that trapping and subsequently releasing unowned, feral or free-roaming cats for spaying or neutering would not constitute abandonment under state animal-cruelty law.
The measure drew no extended debate during the committee roll call. Representative Edwards was not present for the vote; a motion for passage was made and seconded. Committee Chair Craven called a roll call vote and the motion carried. Committee members who recorded “aye” during the roll call included Chairman Craven, First Vice Chair MacEntee, Second Vice Chair Knight, Representatives Bachello, Bennett, Caldwell, Casimiro, Cruz, Corvasey, Dawson, Hopkins and Place. The committee declared, “The ayes have it.”
The bill’s sponsor framed the measure as a clarifying change to the existing cruelty-to-animals provisions to allow common trap-neuter-release practices without exposing volunteers or animal-control professionals to abandonment charges. The committee did not receive extended public testimony on this specific item during the hearing segment reported in the transcript.
The committee will deliver its recommendation to the full House for the next stage of consideration.
