Environment Committee advances bills on bear hunting, Sunday hunting, animal welfare and aquaculture; votes held open until 2 p.m.

State Representative John Michael Parker, chair of the Environment Committee, convened the March 28 meeting and steered the committee through nine agenda items, moving several to the House floor with committee recommendation after debate and roll-call votes.

The committee’s most contested discussions centered on changes to bear-management law and a proposal to allow limited Sunday hunting on private land. Lawmakers also debated a bill that combines requirements to expand non-animal testing methods with biodiesel blending mandates and considered bills on feral-cat handling, pet-store animal welfare, aquaculture, and PFAS study and coordination.

Representative Mashinsky, who opposed the bear measure, warned the committee that the bill “is deciding to kill a bear based on their behavior the previous year” and urged greater use of nonlethal tools. Representative Horn, who represents many farmers, said crop losses can be rapid and argued the bill gives producers “more tools to address” severe, immediate damage to fields. Representative Mashinsky also questioned protections for hikers under the Sunday-hunting language, noting that some blazed trails cross private property.

Committee members said they will continue working on language changes before the bills go to the House for further action. Several lawmakers described agency and stakeholder concerns that will require follow-up — for example, the aquaculture bill’s treatment of oyster-shell recycling was pared back after a report raised storage and burden concerns for participants, and the PFAS proposal was narrowed to reactivating an existing PFAS council to study the issue and report back rather than require immediate regulatory action.

On the bill regarding feral cats, citizen Brad Piscopo described a scenario that concerned him — a longtime pet cat surrendered and euthanized while a feral cat receives different handling — and asked whether the bill would treat domestic cats worse than feral ones. Committee members and sponsors said the intent was not to disadvantage owners of domestic pets and that the language aims to involve animal-control and feral-cat organizations and to create humane protections.

On the combined bill addressing alternatives to animal testing and biodiesel blending, Representative Dubitsky objected to combining two distinct subjects into one bill and several members said state agencies and affected businesses raised questions about blending percentages and who would be affected.

Votes at a glance

- HB 5388 (LCO 6917) — Native American hunting, fishing and aquaculture rights: Placed on consent calendar (committee motion to JFS to the floor). Moved by Senator Lopes; seconded; committee recorded roll-call. (Votes held open until 2 p.m.) - HB 6231 (LCO 6919) — Restrictions on euthanization of feral cats; involvement of feral-cat organizations: Committee moved to JFS to the floor. Moved by Senator Lopes; seconded by Representative Mashinsky. Roll-call conducted; one member voiced a specific no during roll call (Representative Piscopo), but committee proceeded. Votes held open until 2 p.m. - HB 6240 (LCO 6920) — Health and welfare of animals sold at pet stores (reporting by DOAG): Placed on consent calendar after sponsor amendment; committee moved to JFS to the floor. - HB 6277 (LCO 6921) — Adoption of animals from breeders and testing facilities: Placed on consent calendar; moved to JFS to the floor. - HB 6278 (LCO 6920) — Use of alternatives to animal testing and biodiesel blending requirements: Committee moved substitute language to JFS to the floor after members noted agency and business concerns; some members indicated they may vote no without further work. - HB 6222 (LCO 6924) — Aquaculture: Substitute language removed oyster-shell recycling requirement after an OLR report; placed on consent calendar; committee moved to JFS to the floor. - SB 1494 (LCO 6926) — PFAS testing and council reactivation: Narrowed to study and reactivation of the PFAS council; placed on consent calendar; moved to JFS to the floor. - SB 1523 (LCO 6925) — Bear management/hunting provisions: Moved to JFS to the floor after extended debate. Representative Mashinsky voted no on policy grounds and several members raised concerns about verification of past damage and nonlethal measures; committee proceeded with sponsor’s revised language. - HB 7231 (LCO 6923) — Sunday hunting on private lands: Committee moved the item to JFS to the floor; members requested additional work on distance-from-trail language to ensure hikers on trails that cross private land are protected.

What the committee actually did

- For bills that advanced, the committee’s action was a motion to report JFS (raise) to the floor; movers were most often Senator Lopes and seconds were recorded in the transcript. The clerk called roll calls on several items and the chair noted that votes would be held open until 2 p.m. so members attending other meetings could return to record final votes.

Context and next steps

Committee leaders repeatedly described several items as “work in progress,” asking staff and stakeholders (agencies, farms, hunters’ groups, trails associations, feral-cat organizations and industry) to continue working on technical fixes. Members asked agencies such as the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), Department of Agriculture (DOAG), and others to advise on implementation details including how to verify whether an animal caused damage in a prior season, blending percentages for biodiesel requirements, and safe handling and reporting practices for animals sold in pet stores. The chair announced votes would remain open until 2 p.m. and closed the meeting to recess.

Ending

The committee’s March 28 session produced multiple committee recommendations to the House while flagging a series of technical issues for further drafting. Members emphasized follow-up with state agencies and stakeholders before bills return to the chamber. Votes were recorded by roll call in committee and, per the chair, will be held open until 2 p.m. for members participating in concurrent meetings.