HOUSE BILL NO. 306 Offered January 9, 2008 Prefiled January 3, 2008 A BILL to amend and reenact § 3.1-796.104:1 of the Code of Virginia, relating to animal control officers. ---------- Patron-- Eisenberg ---------- Committee Referral Pending ----------

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1.  That § 3.1-796.104:1 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:

§ 3.1-796.104:1. Training of animal control officers.

A. After April 1, 1999, every locality appointing animal control officers shall require that every animal control officer and deputy animal control officer completes the following training:

1. Within two years afterone year of appointment, a basic animal control course that has been approved by the State Veterinarian, who may consult with the Department of Criminal Justice Services, Department of Social Services, Virginia Farm Bureau Federation, Virginia Animal Control Association, Virginia Veterinary Medical Association, Virginia Association of Counties, Virginia Municipal League, Virginia Federation of Humane Societies, or other appropriate agencies and sportsmen advocacy groups. The basic animal control course shall include training in recognizing suspected child abuse and neglect and information on how complaints may be filed and shall be approved and implemented by July 1, 2005; and

2. Every three yearsyear, additional training approved by the State Veterinarian, 15 hours of which shall be training in animal control and protection and five hours of which shall be training in enforcement and animal care laws.

The State Veterinarian shall develop criteria to be used in approving training courses and shall provide an opportunity for public comment on proposed criteria before the final criteria are adopted.

Subdivision 1 shall not apply to animal control officers or deputy animal control officers appointed before July 1, 1998. The State Veterinarian may grant exemptions from the requirements of subdivision 1 to animal control officers appointed on or after July 1, 1998, based on the animal control officer's previous training.

The State Veterinarian shall work to ensure the availability of these training courses through regional criminal justice training academies or other entities as approved by him. Based on information provided by authorized training entities, the State Veterinarian shall maintain the training records for all animal control officers for the purpose of documenting and ensuring that they are in compliance with this subsection.

B. Upon cause shown by a locality, the State Veterinarian may grant additional time during which the training required by subsection A may be completed by an animal control officer in such locality.

C. Any animal control officer that fails to complete the training required by subsection A shall be removed from office, unless the State Veterinarian has granted additional time as provided in subsection B.