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VermontH.8412025-2026 SessionHouseWALLET

An act relating to miscellaneous animal welfare procedures

Sponsored By: Chea Waters Evans (Democratic)

Signed by Governor

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

8 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 3 costs, 2 mixed.

Animal businesses and importers must register

Beginning June 8, 2026, shelters, rescues, pet dealers, and covered pet importers must register with the Animal Welfare Division. Importers are covered when bringing one or more domestic pets for adoption, sale, other transfer, or breeding—not personal purposes. Registration is free and requires information on animal intake, production, inventory, and where animals go. A first failure to register brings a warning; later failures may bring fines and an order to stop. Running a pet shop, shelter, pet-dealing business, or rescue without required licensing or registration carries separate penalties. Those penalties reach $300, six months in jail, or both, and also cover unlicensed fairs or auctions and chapter violations without another penalty. Administrative penalties under the chapter can reach $1,000.

Contracted shelters can sterilize stray cats

Beginning June 8, 2026, shelters and rescues with a municipal contract can sterilize impounded stray cats with no known owner. They must wait at least one day after the cat is impounded.

More funding sources for animal welfare

Beginning June 8, 2026, Vermont’s Animal Welfare Fund can receive legislative transfers, donations, grants, and gifts. It continues to receive 67% of revenue from the designated surcharge. Unspent year-end money and interest stay in the Fund. The law sets no dollar amount for the added funding sources.

Vermont creates statewide animal welfare oversight

Beginning June 8, 2026, Vermont has an Animal Welfare Division in the Department of Public Safety. The Commissioner appoints a qualified director with animal welfare law and enforcement experience. Within eight months of hire, the director must submit a statewide plan after reviewing the 2023 unification report and related proposals. The plan must address cruelty complaints, enforcement coordination, standard procedures, seized-animal care, funding, staffing needs, and recommended legal changes. The director must consult other state agencies and recommend care standards for animals housed or imported by shelters and rescues. The director remains the only employee until the plan is complete and needed implementing laws are enacted. A report on next steps and oversight of dog and cat breeders, sellers, and large animal owners is due December 15, 2026. The Division can adopt rules to carry out its duties.

Stricter licensing and imported pet checks

Beginning June 8, 2026, wolf-hybrid license applicants must give the town clerk proof that the animal has been sterilized. Proof must be a Vermont-licensed veterinarian’s certificate or a certified copy. Dogs, cats, ferrets, and wolf-hybrids imported for sale, resale, exchange, or donation need a health certificate or equivalent. A veterinarian licensed where the animal comes from must confirm inspection and no visible infectious or contagious disease. Animals older than three months need current rabies vaccination unless an applicable breed or age exception applies. Imported wolf-hybrids older than four months must also be sterilized; this import rule does not cover younger animals. The Agency of Agriculture can adopt rules for issuing certificates and their contents.

Animal operators face care and insurance rules

Beginning June 8, 2026, shelters and rescues must collect available information about each animal’s transferor, vaccinations, background, behavior, and health. After a public hearing, the Secretary can deny or revoke shelter, rescue, or pet dealer registration for inadequate housing or unlawful care. Covered pet dealers, shelters, rescues, and people keeping animals for breeding must maintain commercially reasonable general liability insurance. Insurance is a condition of licensing or registration, but the law sets no coverage amount or premium. Failure to provide adequate food, water, or housing can bring fines up to $500.

Breeding license ends, fee exemption disappears

Beginning June 8, 2026, the special annual license for domestic pets and wolf-hybrids kept for breeding is repealed. Its special fee schedule also ends. The law removes that license’s exemption from other license fees and the surcharge. It does not state the amounts of those other charges.

Low-income pet surgery aid remains discretionary

Beginning June 8, 2026, the law continues reduced-cost sterilization and shots before surgery for eligible dogs, cats, and wolf-hybrids. The animals must be owned or cared for by people with low income. Veterinarians choose whether to participate, and owners may have a co-payment. Veterinarian reimbursement is reduced by that co-payment; no payment amounts are stated. The Agency of Human Services may use an agreement with a qualified organization to run the program, rather than being required to do so.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsor

  • Chea Waters Evans

    Democratic • House

Cosponsors

There are no cosponsors for this bill.

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

Actions Timeline

  1. House message: Governor approved bill on June 8, 2026

    5/29/2026House

  2. Signed by Governor on June 8, 2026

    5/29/2026House

  3. Delivered to Governor on June 2, 2026

    5/29/2026House

  4. House message: House concurred in Senate proposal of amendment

    5/26/2026House

  5. Senate proposal of amendment concurred in

    5/21/2026House

  6. Rules suspended and taken up for immediate consideration, pending entry on Notice Calendar, as moved by Rep. McCoy of Poultney

    5/21/2026House

  7. Senate Message: Passed in concurrence with proposal of amendment

    5/21/2026Senate

  8. Rules suspended & messaged to House forthwith, on motion of Senator Baruth

    5/21/2026Senate

  9. Read 3rd time & passed in concurrence with proposal of amendment

    5/21/2026Senate

  10. New Business/Third Reading

    5/21/2026Senate

  11. 3rd reading ordered

    5/20/2026Senate

  12. Proposal of amendment by Committee on Government Operations agreed to

    5/20/2026Senate

  13. Reported favorably by Senator Gulick for Committee on Finance

    5/20/2026Senate

  14. Read 2nd time, reported favorably with proposal of amendment by Senator Collamore for Committee on Government Operations

    5/20/2026Senate

  15. Favorable report by Committee on Finance

    5/20/2026Senate

  16. Favorable report with proposal of amendment by Committee on Government Operations

    5/20/2026Senate

  17. Unfinished Business/Second Reading

    5/20/2026Senate

  18. Favorable report by Committee on Finance

    5/19/2026Senate

  19. Favorable report with proposal of amendment by Committee on Government Operations

    5/19/2026Senate

  20. New Business/Second Reading

    5/19/2026Senate

  21. Favorable report by Committee on Finance

    5/15/2026Senate

  22. Favorable report with proposal of amendment by Committee on Government Operations

    5/15/2026Senate

  23. Second Reading

    5/15/2026Senate

  24. Entered on Notice Calendar

    5/15/2026Senate

  25. Referred to Committee on Finance per Senate Rule 31

    5/8/2026Senate

Bill Text

  • As Enacted (ACT 121)Opens in a new window

    6/12/2026

    PDF

  • As Passed by Both Chambers

    5/26/2026

    PDF

  • As Passed by Both Chambers (Unofficial)

    5/26/2026

    PDF

  • Senate Proposal of Amendment

    5/22/2026

    PDF

  • Senate Proposal of Amendment (Unofficial)

    5/22/2026

    PDF

  • As Passed by the House

    3/18/2026

    PDF

  • As Passed by the House (Unofficial)

    3/18/2026

    PDF

  • As Introduced

    1/29/2026

    PDF

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