HB561 Alabama 2010 Session

This bill would relate to agriculture and livestock. This bill would prohibit local governments from adopting laws and rules relating to livestock and animal husbandry on private property and would provide that regulation of livestock and animal husbandry would be within the sole jurisdiction of the Department of Agriculture and Industries and the State Board of Agriculture and Industries. This bill would specify that the State Veterinarian would be responsible for the administration and enforcement of any laws and rules relating to control of diseases in livestock

This bill would also further provide for the penalties for cruelty to animals

Amendment 621 of the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, now appearing as Section 111.05 of the Official Recompilation of the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, as amended, prohibits a general law whose purpose or effect would be to require a new or increased expenditure of local funds from becoming effective with regard to a local governmental entity without enactment by a 2/3 vote unless: it comes within one of a number of specified exceptions; it is approved by the affected entity; or the Legislature appropriates funds, or provides a local source of revenue, to the entity for the purpose

The purpose or effect of this bill would be to require a new or increased expenditure of local funds within the meaning of the amendment. However, the bill does not require approval of a local governmental entity or enactment by a 2/3 vote to become effective because it comes within one of the specified exceptions contained in the amendment

Relating to agriculture; to prohibit a county or municipal government from adopting any ordinance, rule, or resolution concerning the care and handling of livestock or animal husbandry practices on any private property and to reserve the entire subject of care, handling, or animal husbandry to the Department of Agriculture and Industries and the State Board of Agriculture and Industries; to amend Section 2-4-1 of the Code of Alabama 1975, relating to the State Veterinarian, to further specify the enforcement by the state laws relating to livestock and the control of infectious disease in livestock; to amend Section 13A-11-14 of the Code of Alabama 1975, relating to cruelty to animals, to further provide for the penalties; and in connection therewith would have as its purpose or effect the requirement of a new or increased expenditure of local funds within the meaning of Amendment 621 of the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, now appearing as Section 111.05 of the Official Recompilation of the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, as amended.