An Act To Amend the Laws That Provide an Exemption for Agricultural Guard Dogs from Municipal Ordinances Governing Barking Dogs
Emergency preamble. Whereas, acts and resolves of the Legislature do not become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted as emergencies; and
Whereas, a municipality has the authority to adopt and the responsibility to enforce ordinances for the protection and peaceful coexistence of residents within that municipality; and
Whereas, a broadly written statute inhibits a municipality in carrying out its responsibilities; and
Whereas, in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts create an emergency within the meaning of the Constitution of Maine and require the following legislation as immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety; now, therefore,
Sec. 1. 7 MRSA §3950, sub-§1, as enacted by PL 2005, c. 138, §1, is amended to read:
For the purposes of this subsection, "livestock" has the same meaning as in section 3907, subsection 18-A.
Emergency clause. In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this legislation takes effect when approved.
summary
This bill restricts the exemption from barking dog ordinances for agricultural working dogs to dogs engaged in agricultural guarding or herding activities on land that is classified as farmland under the State's current use taxation program for farmland and land that is not classified as farmland but meets other criteria relating to size, use and location.