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Committee removes $150 fee for raccoon permits after veterinary testimony on rabies risk
Summary
Lawmakers amended HB 24-99 to remove a $150 possession-permit fee for raccoons; Megan Fraser of the Tennessee Veterinary Medical Association warned that captive-bred raccoons remain rabies vectors and urged caution. Committee approved the amended bill (13 ayes, 1 nay, 1 present-not-voting).
Representative Caplan explained an amendment to HB 24-99 that would authorize possession of a raccoon without payment of a $150 permit fee; the permit itself would still be required. The committee adopted the amendment.
Megan Fraser, testifying for the Tennessee Veterinary Medical Association, urged caution against allowing raccoons as pets, saying the animals are a primary wild reservoir for rabies and that "rabies is nearly 100 percent fatal when symptoms appear in humans and animals," requiring post-exposure treatment. Committee members asked agency and implementation questions; the bill advanced to Calendar and Rules with a 13-1-1 vote.
