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CaliforniaAB 8672025-2026 Regular SessionHouse

Veterinary medicine: animal declawing.

Sponsored By: Alex Lee (Democratic)

Signed by Governor

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

2 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.

More shelter care by trained staff

Employees at animal shelters that are not registered with the Board can give some basic care under a veterinarian’s written plan. Staff can give preventive, nonprescription vaccines and parasite-control medicines, and give prescribed drugs under a written treatment plan with dispensing rules. Staff must complete at least four hours of training from a licensed veterinarian. Shelters must report any serious injury or death from this care to the Veterinary Medical Board. This section stays in place unless a related bill (AB 1502) changes the operative text by January 1, 2026.

Cat declawing banned except for medical need

The law bans declawing surgeries on cats, including onychectomy and tendonectomy, unless a veterinarian does it for a therapeutic purpose. A therapeutic purpose means it is medically needed to treat an infection, disease, injury, or abnormal condition that threatens the cat’s health. Routine nail trimming and non-surgical claw solutions are allowed. Doing these surgeries counts as veterinary practice and must follow licensing rules. Owners and their employees cannot perform declawing. The Veterinary Medical Board can discipline licensees who do non-therapeutic declawing. Local declaw bans adopted before January 1, 2026, remain in force.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsor

  • Alex Lee

    Democratic • House

Cosponsors

  • Jesse Arreguín

    Democratic • Senate

  • Jessica Caloza

    Democratic • House

  • Henry Stern

    Democratic • Senate

  • Scott Wiener

    Democratic • Senate

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 216 • No: 0

House vote • 9/9/2025

Item 230 — Assembly AFLOOR

Yes: 74 • No: 0

Senate vote • 9/8/2025

Item 391 — Senate SFLOOR

Yes: 36 • No: 0

legislature vote • 6/23/2025

Vote in CS42

Yes: 10 • No: 0

House vote • 4/28/2025

Item 91 — Assembly AFLOOR

Yes: 72 • No: 0

legislature vote • 4/23/2025

Vote in CX25

Yes: 11 • No: 0

legislature vote • 4/1/2025

Vote in CX33

Yes: 13 • No: 0

Actions Timeline

  1. Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 479, Statutes of 2025.

    10/9/2025Senate

  2. Approved by the Governor.

    10/9/2025legislature

  3. Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 2 p.m.

    9/16/2025legislature

  4. Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 74. Noes 0. Page 3112.).

    9/9/2025House

  5. In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.

    9/8/2025House

  6. Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 36. Noes 0. Page 2624.).

    9/8/2025Senate

  7. Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

    9/4/2025Senate

  8. Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading.

    9/3/2025Senate

  9. Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

    7/1/2025Senate

  10. From committee: Be ordered to second reading pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8.

    6/30/2025Senate

  11. From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 10. Noes 0.) (June 23). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

    6/23/2025Senate

  12. From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on B. P. & E.D.

    6/17/2025Senate

  13. In committee: Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.

    6/9/2025Senate

  14. Referred to Com. on B. P. & E.D.

    5/7/2025Senate

  15. In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.

    4/29/2025Senate

  16. Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 72. Noes 0. Page 1319.)

    4/28/2025House

  17. Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

    4/24/2025House

  18. From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 11. Noes 0.) (April 23).

    4/23/2025House

  19. From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 13. Noes 0.) (April 1). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

    4/1/2025House

  20. Re-referred to Com. on B. & P.

    3/25/2025House

  21. From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on B. & P. Read second time and amended.

    3/24/2025House

  22. Referred to Com. on B. & P.

    3/3/2025House

  23. From printer. May be heard in committee March 22.

    2/20/2025House

  24. Read first time. To print.

    2/19/2025House

Bill Text

  • Chaptered

    10/9/2025

    HTML

  • Enrolled

    9/11/2025

    HTML

  • Amended Senate

    9/3/2025

    HTML

  • Amended Senate

    6/17/2025

    HTML

  • Amended Assembly

    3/24/2025

    HTML

  • Introduced

    2/19/2025

    HTML

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