HP0253
LD 320
First Regular Session - 125th Maine Legislature
C "A", Filing Number H-98, Sponsored by
LR 786
Item 2
Bill Tracking, Additional Documents Chamber Status

Amend the bill by inserting before section 1 the following:

Sec. 1. 7 MRSA §4015, sub-§2, ¶B,  as amended by PL 2007, c. 439, §27, is further amended to read:

B. Except as provided in subsections 5 , 5-A and 6, shelter from inclement weather must be as follows.

(1) An artificial shelter, with a minimum of 3 sides and a waterproof roof, appropriate to the local climatic conditions and for the species and breed of the animal must be provided as necessary for the health of the animal.

(2) If a dog is tied or confined unattended outdoors under weather conditions that adversely affect the health of the dog, a shelter must be provided in accordance with subsection 6, paragraph A to accommodate the dog and protect it from the weather and, in particular, from severe cold. Inadequate shelter may be indicated by the shivering of the dog due to cold weather for a continuous period of 10 minutes or by symptoms of frostbite or hypothermia. A metal barrel is not adequate shelter for a dog.

Amend the bill in section 2 by striking out all of subsection 5-A (page 1, lines 14 to 19 in L.D.) and inserting the following:

5-A Livestock maintained under a rotational grazing system.   Notwithstanding subsection 5, a person is not required to provide shelter for livestock while the animals are maintained under a rotational grazing system as long as the animals do not have injuries or infirmities that prevent them from accessing food and water and are in good body condition. For the purposes of this subsection, "rotational grazing system" means the practice of dividing up available pasture into multiple smaller areas during grazing season when pasture is available to meet the dietary requirements of the animals and subsequently moving the animals from one area to another after a number of days or weeks as determined by forage production and quality.

Amend the bill by inserting after section 2 the following:

Sec. 3. 17 MRSA §1037, sub-§2, ¶B,  as amended by PL 2007, c. 702, §49, is further amended to read:

B. Except as provided in subsections 5 , 5-A and 7, shelter from inclement weather must be provided according to this paragraph.

(1) An artificial shelter, with a minimum of 3 sides and a waterproof roof, appropriate to the local climatic conditions for the species and breed of the animal must be provided as necessary for the health of the animal.

(2) If a dog is tied or confined unattended outdoors under weather conditions that adversely affect the health of the dog, a shelter must be provided in accordance with subsection 7, paragraph A to accommodate the dog and protect it from the weather and, in particular, from severe cold. Inadequate shelter may be indicated by the shivering of the dog due to cold weather for a continuous period of 10 minutes or by symptoms of frostbite or hypothermia. A metal barrel is not adequate shelter for a dog.

Amend the bill in section 4 by striking out all of subsection 5-A (page 1, lines 32 to 37 in L.D.) and inserting the following:

5-A Livestock maintained under a rotational grazing system.   Notwithstanding subsection 5, a person is not required to provide shelter for livestock while the animals are maintained under a rotational grazing system as long as the animals do not have injuries or infirmities that prevent them from accessing food and water and are in good body condition. For the purposes of this subsection, "rotational grazing system" means the practice of dividing up available pasture into multiple smaller areas during grazing season when pasture is available to meet the dietary requirements of the animals and subsequently moving the animals from one area to another after a number of days or weeks as determined by forage production and quality.

Amend the bill by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or section number to read consecutively.

summary

This amendment clarifies that livestock kept under a rotational grazing system are exempt from shelter requirements only when the animals are in good body condition and physically able to access food and water.


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