The bill S.108 proposes to amend the Dog, Cat, and Wolf-Hybrid Spaying and Neutering Program by increasing the mandatory dog licensure fee surcharge from $4.00 to $6.00. This surcharge is collected by municipalities to fund the program. Additionally, the bill introduces a requirement for pet owners utilizing the program to provide a minimum co-payment of $50.00 per companion animal. The bill also transfers the rulemaking authority for the program from the Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets to the Department for Children and Families Office of Economic Opportunity, which will be responsible for making various amendments to the program's rules.

The amendments to the rules include expanding the definition of companion animals to include rabbits, increasing the number of companion animals per owner that can be served by the program from three to five, and ensuring that veterinarians' predetermined fee schedules are kept confidential. Other changes involve extending the validity of pet owner vouchers to eight weeks, specifying that veterinarians will be reimbursed within 30 days of invoice submission, and requiring the names of participating veterinarians to be posted on the program's website. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
As Introduced: 20-3581