DOG LICENSES - H.B. 5843: FLOOR ANALYSIS

House Bill 5843 (as reported without amendment)

Sponsor: Representative James McNutt

House Committee: Agriculture

Senate Committee: Farming, Agribusiness and Food Systems

CONTENT

The bill would amend the Dog Law to make the following changes in the Law's licensing provisions:

-- Require a dog owner to apply for a license annually by March 1, unless a county board of commissioners adopted a resolution establishing a licensing schedule under which a dog could be licensed yearly or every third year.

-- Lower from six months to four months the age of a dog that must be licensed.

-- Require a certificate for rabies vaccination, as part of a license application, to state the month and year the vaccination would expire.

-- Prohibit a license from being issued under a county's new licensing schedule if a dog's rabies vaccination would expire one month before the license expired.

-- Delete current license fee provisions and permit a county board of commissioners, instead, to set license fees in the county budget at a level to pay county expenses for administering the Law as it pertains to dogs.

MCL 287.266 et al. - Legislative Analyst: L. Arasim

FISCAL IMPACT

The bill would have no fiscal impact on State government.

The bill could generate an indeterminate increase in revenues for local units of government, depending on the amount of fees set to cover administration of the Act. It also could reduce administrative costs by allowing for a three-year versus one-year dog license.

Date Completed: 9-21-98 - Fiscal Analyst: G. CutlerFLOOR\HB5843 - Analysis available @ http://www.michiganlegislature.org

This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.