STAND. COM. REP. NO. 653-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: H.B. No. 1682

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 1682 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PET SALES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Beginning January 1, 2025, require retail stores that sell pet animals to:

(A) Maintain records sufficient to document the source and medical history of each pet animal obtained by the store for at least three years following the date the store obtained the pet animal;

(B) Verify the identities of breeders and brokers;

(D) Provide certain records related to the respective pet animal to the purchaser of the pet animal before any sale is finalized and to county authorities upon request;

(2) Prohibit any retail pet store from selling or offering for sale any pet animal unless the retail pet store was in operation in the State before January 1, 2025, under certain conditions;

(3) Authorize retail pet stores to showcase dogs and cats owned by a nonprofit animal welfare organization; and

(4) Establish penalties.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Animal Welfare Institute; Hawaiian Humane Society; Animal Interfaith Alliance of Britain; Kauaʻi Humane Society; Animal Rights Hawaiʻi; The Humane Society of the United States; Domestic Violence Hurts Animals and People; Rainbow Family 808; and numerous individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from Koolau Pets; The Pet Depot; and numerous individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of the Attorney General.

Your Committee finds that the State does not regulate retail pet businesses. This places the State in the minority as thirty‑three states license commercial pet breeders, thirty-one states set minimum standards of care for breeders, and thirty states regulate the sale of puppies by pet stores.

Your Committee further finds that while a comprehensive regulatory framework may be unnecessary, some level of transparency would alleviate any concerns of unscrupulous business practices. This measure requires retail pet stores to retain certain documentation and to provide that documentation to purchasers and, upon request, to law enforcement agencies.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Amending the penalty to establish a maximum civil penalty amount and duration for the prohibition on selling pet animals;

(2) Deleting language that would have prohibited any retail pet store from selling or offering for sale any pet animal unless the retail pet store was in operation in the State before January 1, 2025, under certain conditions;

(3) Changing the effective date to January 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

(4) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1682, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1682, H.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs,

____________________________

DAVID A. TARNAS, Chair