The proposed bill, known as the Compassion for Community Cats Law, seeks to improve the management of stray and feral cats by establishing the Compassion for Community Cats Fund within the Department of Health. This fund will provide grants to municipalities and counties for humane programs focused on trapping, sterilizing, vaccinating, and returning community cats to their original locations. The fund will be financed through various sources, including fines for violations of the bill, a surcharge on dog licenses, legislative appropriations, and investment returns. The bill also mandates that no cat may be released for adoption from shelters or rescue organizations unless it has been spayed or neutered, with specific exceptions for young or health-compromised cats.

Additionally, the bill emphasizes the Trap, Neuter, Vaccinate, and Return (TNVR) method as a humane approach to managing community cat populations, allowing municipalities to implement this method through grants. It amends existing laws to clarify definitions related to animal control and care, streamlining the process for managing community cats. Notably, the bill repeals sections 2 and 3 of P.L.2011, c.142, which pertained to the Pet Sterilization Pilot Program, thereby focusing efforts on community cat management and promoting the TNVR method as a more effective solution.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 4:19-15.1, 4:19-15.3, 4:19-15.16, 4:19A-1, 4:19A-2, 4:19A-3, 4:19A-4, 4:19A-5, 45:16-9.4