Substitute Senate Bill 130 Summary

• Establishes licensing requirements for high volume dog breeders (those producing 9+ litters annually and selling 60+ dogs per year) and dog retailers under the Ohio Department of Agriculture, with application fees ranging from $150-$750 depending on breeding volume.

• Requires high volume breeders to obtain insurance or surety bonds ($5,000-$50,000 depending on number of dogs), establish veterinary-client-patient relationships, and comply with state-adopted care standards for housing, nutrition, exercise, grooming, biosecurity, and waste management.

• Creates registration system for animal rescue organizations (non-profit dog rescues that do not breed or profit from dog sales) and exempts certain facilities including medical kennels, research kennels, veterinarians, and municipal dog pounds from licensing requirements.

• Authorizes annual inspections of licensed breeders and retailers by the Department of Agriculture, with authority to impound dogs, issue citations, assess civil penalties of $100+ per violation, suspend/revoke licenses, and pursue injunctions for non-compliance.

• Establishes commercial dog breeding advisory board to review proposed regulations and advise the Department, and grants the environmental division of Franklin County Municipal Court jurisdiction to hear appeals of administrative determinations under the new licensing program.