Summary of Substitute Senate Bill 331 (131st General Assembly)

• Requires the Director of Agriculture to license pet stores and establishes regulations for the sale of dogs from pet stores and dog retailers, including requirements for veterinary inspection, microchip identification, age restrictions, and disclosure of breeder information to purchasers.

• Regulates high-volume dog breeders through licensing, background checks, insurance/bond requirements ($5,000-$50,000 depending on size), and standards of care governing housing, nutrition, exercise, biosecurity, and disease control.

• Prohibits the sale of dogs from certain sources and requires dogs to be at least eight weeks old with certification of veterinary inspection before transfer to pet stores.

• Governs construction and attachment of micro wireless facilities in public ways, establishing a ninety-day approval process for municipal consent requests and prohibiting municipalities from imposing excessive restrictions on wireless facility operators.

• Prohibits political subdivisions from establishing minimum wage rates different from state law and grants private employers exclusive authority over hours of work, scheduling, and fringe benefits unless exceptions apply.

• Prohibits sexual conduct with animals, cockfighting, and bearbaiting with increased criminal penalties, authorizes animal seizure and impoundment, and allows courts to order psychological evaluation of offenders.