Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Criminal Law Subcommittee reports House Bill 53 favorably after debate over zebras and other exotic pets
Summary
The Criminal Law Subcommittee of the Judiciary Committee voted to report House Bill 53 favorably after testimony about past zebra escapes and a failed amendment to remove zebras from the bill. The measure would add several exotic animals to the state list of prohibited private pets and now advances to the full committee.
The Criminal Law Subcommittee of the Judiciary Committee on Tuesday voted to report House Bill 53 favorably after a work session that focused on whether zebras and other exotic animals should be added to the state list of prohibited private pets.
Chair Delegate N. Scott Phillips, the subcommittee chair for criminal law, presided over the hearing. Testimony from Stacy Belodin of the Humane World Society for Animals recounted a 2021 episode in Prince George's County in which a breeder’s animals escaped, saying "four zebras got loose" and that "two of the zebras were running loose for 4 months," an incident she said involved state natural-resources…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
