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AB 631

Relating to: use of public lands to provide temporary residence for the homeless and providing a penalty. (FE)

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Dave Maxey and 3 co-sponsors

Requires California animal shelters to collect and publicly share standardized intake/outcome data quarterly for at least 5 years; encourages rescues to report; may raise costs.

Fiscal estimate received
0
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Bill Summary · AB 631

AB 631 — Animals: animal shelters: transparency (Lee) — Bill summary

Note: The legislative text and committee documents provided for AB 631 concern animal shelter data transparency. (The bill title shown at the top of your prompt appears to be from a different subject; this summary follows the actual bill text and digests provided.)

Purpose / intent

Require public and private animal control agencies and shelters to collect, maintain, and publicly share standardized data about animal intake and outcomes to support evidence‑based policymaking and improve animal welfare statewide. The bill also strongly encourages rescue groups to report similar data.

Key provisions

  • Adds Section 32004 to the Food and Agricultural Code.
  • Definitions
    • “Animal shelter” (cross‑references Section 30503.5): public or private animal control agencies/shelters, SPCAs, humane societies.
    • “Rescue group”: for‑profit or nonprofit entities that place or sell animals removed from shelters or previously owned by non‑breeders.
  • Required data collection (updated at least quarterly), separated by category (dogs, cats, other):
    • Number of animals taken in.
    • Source of intake (examples: stray, owner surrender, transfer from another shelter).
    • Outcomes (examples: returned to owner, adopted, transferred, euthanized, died in care, dead on arrival).
  • Public access and retention
    • If the shelter has an internet website: post the data and keep it publicly accessible for at least 5 years.
    • If no website: make the information publicly available upon request for at least 5 years.
  • Additional encouragements
    • Rescue groups are encouraged (but not required) to report the same data.
    • Shelters and rescue groups with local animal‑care contracts are encouraged to provide downloadable spreadsheet formats (CSV/TSV or similar).
  • Fiscal/mandate language
    • Recognizes the potential for this to impose a state‑mandated local program; if the Commission on State Mandates finds costs are mandated, reimbursement shall be pursuant to existing statutory procedures (Gov. Code, Part 7, §17500 et seq.).

Who is affected

  • Required: public and private animal control agencies and shelters, SPCAs, humane society shelters in California.
  • Encouraged but not required: rescue groups and contracted animal‑care providers.

Implementation & timeline

  • Data must be collected and recorded and updated at least once per quarter.
  • Posted data must remain publicly accessible for 5 years.
  • The bill was introduced 02/13/2025; it passed the Assembly (4/28/2025, Ayes 72 Noes 0) and was referred to Senate committees. Committee referrals and actions occurred through summer 2025; a fiscal estimate was received (11/25/2025).

Potential impacts

  • Increases transparency and availability of shelter intake/outcome metrics to aid policy analysis and local decisionmaking.
  • May create additional reporting and data‑management workload and associated costs for local public agencies and some private shelters; subject to state‑mandate reimbursement rules if the Commission on State Mandates so determines.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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