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Committee hears bills to license and inspect pet stores, shelters and small breeders
Summary
House Bills 6198 and 6199 would require licensing, annual inspections and minimum standards for animal care facilities, expand MDARD oversight, and set a Jan. 1, 2027 effective date; MDARD estimated about six new positions would be needed for oversight.
Representative Skaggs presented House Bills 6198 and 6199 to the committee as a comprehensive framework to license and inspect animal care facilities, including pet stores, shelters, rescues and breeders.
The sponsor and MDARD staff said the bills would define categories of facilities, require annual licensure and inspections, and require emergency and contingency plans to protect animals in disasters. Mikayla Heffernan of MDARD said the changes would not take effect until Jan. 1, 2027, and stakeholders would have an opportunity to comment during rulemaking.
Committee members asked about differences between small‑ and large‑scale breeders and potential overlap with the Humane Society's proposals. MDARD said large breeders with 15 or more females remain covered by USDA inspection and that the bill would add licensing and inspection requirements for smaller breeders (five to 14 breeding females). MDARD estimated roughly six positions and associated technological investments would be required to implement the licensing program; MDARD staff said licensing fees alone would not fully cover that cost.
Multiple stakeholders registered opposition or neutrality; committee members asked MDARD to continue stakeholder engagement as the bill moves forward.
Next steps: testimony closed in the excerpt; no committee vote was recorded in the provided segment.
