HOUSE BILL NO. 4674
May 25, 2023, Introduced by Reps. Wilson, Brixie, Morse, Byrnes, Wegela, Andrews, Price,
McKinney, Rheingans, Hill, Coleman, Hood, Hope and Breen and referred to the Committee
on Agriculture.
A bill to amend 1978 PA 368, entitled
"Public health code,"
(MCL 333.1101 to 333.25211) by adding section 18830.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:
1 Sec. 18830. (1) A licensee shall not perform by any means an
2 onychectomy, a partial or complete phalangectomy, or tendonectomy
3 procedure, or any other surgical procedure that prevents normal
4 functioning of the claws, toes, or paws, on a cat, unless the
5 procedure is necessary to address a therapeutic purpose.
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1 (2) As used in this section:
2 (a) "Cat" means a domestic cat of the species Felis catus or a
3 hybrid of that species. Cat includes, but is not limited to, a
4 savannah cat, Serengeti cat, Maine coon, Bengal cat, or chausie.
5 (b) "Therapeutic purpose" means a physical medical condition
6 of a cat, including, but not limited to, an existing or recurring
7 illness, infection, disease, injury, or abnormal condition in the
8 claw of a cat that compromises the cat's health. Therapeutic
9 purpose does not include a cosmetic or aesthetic reason or a reason
10 of convenience in keeping or handling a cat.
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Statutes affected:
House Introduced Bill: 333.1101, 333.25211