SB159 Alabama 2010 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Hinton Mitchem

Democrat

Co-Sponsor

T.D. “Ted” Little

Session

Regular Session 2010

Title

Emergency Management Agency, pet evacuation, EMA to adopt plans for household pets including service animals

Summary

SB159 would require the State Emergency Management Agency to develop a comprehensive plan for evacuating and sheltering household pets and service animals during emergencies, in consultation with local emergency management agencies.

What This Bill Does

It would require the State Emergency Management Agency, with input from local EMAs, to draft an emergency operation plan within 12 months for humane evacuation, transport, and temporary sheltering of household pets and service animals during emergencies or disasters. The plan would address evacuating people with disabilities who use service animals, identifying shelters that can house pets, care standards and staffing, pet identification, safe use of public transport for pets, public information to help owners plan, and coordination with shelters, veterinary services, and volunteers.

Who It Affects

• Household pet owners and people who rely on service animals (including individuals with disabilities) who would be evacuated and sheltered with their animals and receive guidance and resources.
• State and local emergency management agencies, animal shelters, humane societies, veterinary offices, boarding kennels, breeders, animal hospitals, schools, and other facilities that must develop evacuation plans, coordinate efforts, and report plans to the State Emergency Management Agency.

Key Provisions

• The agency must formulate an emergency operation plan within 12 months, in consultation with local emergency management agencies, for humane evacuation, transport, and temporary sheltering of service animals and household pets.
• The plan must enable evacuation and sheltering of service animals with their handlers and inform shelters of their obligation to shelter both the disabled person and the service animal.
• Identify shelters and state facilities capable of housing household pets and develop guidelines for admission criteria, health and safety standards, basic care standards, and veterinary staffing.
• Enable pet-owner evacuations for disabled, elderly, special needs residents, and others wherever possible without endangering human life.
• Establish an identification system to help owners locate and reclaim pets separated during an evacuation.
• Allow household pets in cages or carriers designed for containment and transport to use public transportation during a disaster when it does not endanger human life.
• Implement a public information program to guide household pet owners in creating their own evacuation plans and inform them of available resources.
• Require animal shelters, humane societies, veterinary offices, boarding kennels, breeders, animal hospitals, schools, and animal testing facilities to create evacuation plans for their animals; file them with SEMA and make them public.
• Coordinate the development of a volunteer worker training program to assist in the evacuation and sheltering of household pets and service animals.
• Repeal laws or parts of laws that conflict with this act.
• Effective date: the act becomes law on the first day of the third month after passage.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 25, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Emergency Management Agency