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A 5139

Requires residential property owners to register backyard chicken coops

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Keith Brown and 2 co-sponsors

Requires residential property owners with backyard chicken coops to register their coops, enabling regulatory oversight of backyard poultry.

REFERRED TO AGRICULTURE
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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · A 5139

Summary of Bill A 5139

Basic Information

  • Bill Number: A 5139
  • Title: Requires residential property owners to register backyard chicken coops
  • Status: Referred to Agriculture
  • Introduced: February 12, 2025
  • Classification: bill
  • Sponsors:
    • Primary: Keith Brown
    • Cosponsors: Joe DeStefano, David McDonough
  • Related Bills: A 6187 (prior-session)
  • Legislative Actions:
    • 2025-02-12: REFERRED TO AGRICULTURE
    • 2025-02-12: REFERRED TO AGRICULTURE (duplicate entry)

Purpose and Intent

  • The bill, by its title, aims to require residential property owners who keep backyard chicken coops to register those coops. The stated objective appears to be regulatory oversight of backyard poultry activities, though the full text is not provided in the available materials.

Known Provisions (Based on Title)

  • The available information confirms only that residential property owners would be required to register backyard chicken coops. The actual registration process, required information, fees (if any), deadlines, exemptions, and enforcement mechanisms are not specified in the provided data.

What may be included (typical features in similar bills)

  • Registration process: submission of owner and property details, coop location, number of birds.
  • Renewal and update requirements: periodic renewal or updates if coop details change.
  • Fees: possible registration or annual renewal fee.
  • Location and size information: minimum distance from property lines, zoning considerations, coop size or design standards.
  • Health and welfare requirements: basic biosecurity, vaccination, sanitation, or humane care standards.
  • Exemptions: for certain types of operations (e.g., educational facilities, small-scale hobbyists under a threshold number of birds) or for properties in specific zones.
  • Enforcement and penalties: fines, penalties, or enforcement procedures for non-compliance.

Affected Parties and Impacts

  • Primary affected group: Residential property owners who keep or plan to keep backyard chickens.
  • Local and state agencies: Likely responsible for administering registrations, maintaining records, and enforcing compliance.
  • Neighborhoods and communities: May experience changes related to oversight of backyard poultry, potential privacy or nuisance considerations, and consistency with local zoning.

Procedural and Timeline Considerations

  • The bill is currently in the Agriculture committee stage. If advanced, typical steps would include committee consideration, potential amendments, full chamber debate, and votes, followed by passage to the other legislative chamber and further process.
  • The duplicate committee referral listed suggests a formal step in the legislative process; no specific dates beyond introduction and initial referral are provided.

Next Steps for Readers

  • Monitor for the full text of A 5139 to understand exact registration requirements, exemptions, fees, and enforcement.
  • Track committee hearings and amendments in the Agriculture committee for potential changes to scope or impact.

If you’d like, I can compare A 5139 with A 6187 (related bill) to highlight differences in approach or scope once the full texts are available.

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

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