 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
8/2006 UPDATE: BILL HAS DIED IN SESSION but could resurface next year. Remain Alert and check back! Thanks to EVERYONE who wrote letters!! Massachusetts Senate Bill 2195 intends to ban the sale of unweaned baby birds. We need to OPPOSE THIS BILL! EMAIL YOUR LETTERS NOW BEFORE JULY 31, 2006. SCROLL DOWN PAGE TO SEE "WHAT TO DO" BELOW! UPDATE: AMENDMENT ADDED: JULY 19, 2006 Third reading passes amendment by striking out all after the enacting clause and inserting in place the text of S2651. ABOUT S2195 The "Unweaned Baby Bird Bill" is being sponsored by Senator Michael Morrissey and is now known as Senate Bill 2195. It has been referred to the Joint Committee on Community Development and Small Businesses and will soon be presented to the committee for a vote. It has so far met with overwhelming approval. The following information is also posted on the AFA website: Massachusetts Bill: 2195 http://www.mass.gov/legis/bills/senate/st02/st02195.htm Introduced: Senate & House of Representatives Sponsored By: Senator Mike W. Morrissey http://www.mass.gov/legis/member/mwm0.htm Representative Robert Nyman (State Representative) http://www.mass.gov/legis/member/rjn1.htm Status: Joint Committee on Community Development and Small Business http://www.mass.gov/legis/member/rjn1.htm http://www.mass.gov/legis/comm/j47.htm The American Federation of Aviculture has a position paper on “The Sale of Unweaned Baby Birds” on the AFA website link at: http://afabirds.org/pos_unweaned.shtml Note that: “AFA OPPOSES any legislative or regulatory intrusion on issues of personal responsibility surrounding the transfer of unweaned baby birds by attempting to define or qualify who can or cannot provide proper care or hand rearing.” Should this bill pass, it will affect both bird breeders and hand-feeders within Massachusetts, as well as any state involved with the transporting of unweaned chicks across Massachusetts state lines because it requires chicks to remain with the breeder until weaned. It can also impact breeders and retailers by limiting them from utilizing experienced and talented hand-feeders with proven expertise that have been relied upon with past success. The USDA will also establish rules and regulations for age and size of each bird species, with annual reviews. Although the opportunity for a public hearing has passed, WE STILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO WRITE LETTERS TO HAVE OUR VOICES HEARD!! Please send your letters to OPPOSE Senate Bill 2195 to: 1) Senator Harriette Chandler Chair, Community Development & Small Business State House Room 312-D Boston, MA 02133 Telephone: 617-722-1544 Fax: 617-722-1357 2) Representative David Torrisi Joint Committee on Community Development & Small Business State House Room 42 Boston, MA 02133 Telephone: 617-722-2379 E-mail: Rep.DavidTorrisi@hou.state.ma.us 3) A copy to your own State Senator 4) A copy to your own State Representative If you do not know your state officials, you can find them online at: www.wheredoivotema.com Alert your club members and others in your area. We need your letters! Stay informed and also visit the following links: • AFA Legislative Link: http://afabirds.org/legislation.shtml • A link to follow the historical and current progress of the bill: http://www.mass.gov/? pageID=mg2searchlanding&sid=massgov2&searchMassGov=2195& collectorName=LEGxBILLSxHISTORYx |
MASS. SENATE BILL 2195 LEGISLATIVE ALERT!
WHAT TO DO
Copyright 2006 Aves Communications & Promotions
| 1/2007 UPDATE Link to Docket No.1461 |
| Intent: No commercial establishment, pet shop, firm or corporation shall import into the commonwealth for sale or resale in the commonwealth any Unweaned Bird. Effect: This will affect all pet shops and retail bird sellers including brokers prohibiting them from selling unweaned chicks. The Department of Food and Agriculture will establish rules and regulations as to what age and size each species of bird must be before being sold. Unweaned birds cannot be sold or transported into the State. Rules and regulations will be reviewed on an annual basis. |
| Intent: Bill now includes “private individuals” and language implies any bird sold within Massachusetts! Amendment reads: (The new definition of an unweaned bird): “Unweaned bird" a bird that is too young to eat and sustain its own life without handfeeding or parental feeding assistance.” “A commercial establishment, pet shop, firm, corporation, or private individual shall not Import an unweaned bird into the commonwealth for sale or resale. Before a bird may be sold in the commonwealth or transported into the commonwealth, the seller or transporter shall be able to demonstrate that the bird is able to eat without handfeeding assistance and sustain its own weight for a period of 2 weeks before the sale, resale or transport. Documentation for birds sold, resold, or transported in the commonwealth shall Include hatch dates, hatch locations, the bird’s breeder, and the bird’s weight before and upon the sale or transport of the birds and the documents shall be made available to a purchaser to review before sale and shall be given to the purchaser of the bird upon sale.” |
| PROGRESS OF BILL: Petition of Michael W. Morrissey and Robert J. Nyman for legislation relative to the sale of unweaned birds. 07/07/05 S Referred to the committee on Joint Rules -SJ 513 07/14/05 S Rules suspended 07/14/05 S Referred to the committee on Community Development and Small Business -SJ 647 09/19/05 H House concurred -HJ 635 Public Hearing date Oct 11 pm at 1:00 in Room A-1 03/20/06 S Bill reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on Senate Ethics and Rules -SJ 1572 07/11/06 S Committee reported that the matter be placed in the Orders of the Day for the next session 07/19/06 S Read second 07/19/06 S Amended by striking out all after the enacting clause and inserting in place thereof the text of S2651 07/19/06 S See S2651 |