HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1592 FILED ON: 2/10/2021
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 965
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_________________
PRESENTED BY:
Jack Patrick Lewis
_________________
To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
An Act prohibiting the sale of fur products.
_______________
PETITION OF:
NAME: DISTRICT/ADDRESS: DATE ADDED:
Jack Patrick Lewis 7th Middlesex 2/8/2021
Natalie M. Higgins 4th Worcester 2/10/2021
Lindsay N. Sabadosa 1st Hampshire 2/10/2021
Jason M. Lewis Fifth Middlesex 2/11/2021
Jay D. Livingstone 8th Suffolk 2/11/2021
Vanna Howard 17th Middlesex 2/12/2021
Tommy Vitolo 15th Norfolk 2/13/2021
Tram T. Nguyen 18th Essex 2/15/2021
Bradford Hill 4th Essex 2/16/2021
James B. Eldridge Middlesex and Worcester 2/16/2021
Steven S. Howitt 4th Bristol 2/17/2021
Tami L. Gouveia 14th Middlesex 2/18/2021
Kenneth I. Gordon 21st Middlesex 2/19/2021
Adam J. Scanlon 14th Bristol 2/22/2021
Angelo J. Puppolo, Jr. 12th Hampden 2/23/2021
Linda Dean Campbell 15th Essex 2/23/2021
Lori A. Ehrlich 8th Essex 2/24/2021
Mathew J. Muratore 1st Plymouth 2/24/2021
1 of 2
Joseph D. McKenna 18th Worcester 2/24/2021
Rebecca L. Rausch Norfolk, Bristol and Middlesex 2/25/2021
Patrick M. O'Connor Plymouth and Norfolk 2/25/2021
David M. Rogers 24th Middlesex 2/26/2021
Christina A. Minicucci 14th Essex 2/26/2021
David Henry Argosky LeBoeuf 17th Worcester 2/26/2021
Josh S. Cutler 6th Plymouth 2/26/2021
Peter Capano 11th Essex 2/26/2021
Sean Garballey 23rd Middlesex 2/26/2021
Michelle L. Ciccolo 15th Middlesex 2/26/2021
Tackey Chan 2nd Norfolk 3/4/2021
Danillo A. Sena 37th Middlesex 3/8/2021
Thomas M. Stanley 9th Middlesex 3/3/2021
Daniel J. Ryan 2nd Suffolk 3/9/2021
Christopher Hendricks 11th Bristol 3/15/2021
Carmine Lawrence Gentile 13th Middlesex 3/17/2021
Sal N. DiDomenico Middlesex and Suffolk 3/18/2021
Daniel M. Donahue 16th Worcester 3/18/2021
Michelle M. DuBois 10th Plymouth 3/19/2021
Tricia Farley-Bouvier 3rd Berkshire 3/19/2021
Marjorie C. Decker 25th Middlesex 3/28/2021
Carol A. Doherty 3rd Bristol 3/29/2021
Nika C. Elugardo 15th Suffolk 5/10/2021
Julian Cyr Cape and Islands 5/16/2021
Bruce E. Tarr First Essex and Middlesex 6/3/2021
James M. Kelcourse 1st Essex 6/3/2021
Erika Uyterhoeven 27th Middlesex 6/30/2021
Brian W. Murray 10th Worcester 7/1/2021
Kay Khan 11th Middlesex 7/1/2021
Adrian C. Madaro 1st Suffolk 10/28/2021
James K. Hawkins 2nd Bristol 11/10/2021
Marcos A. Devers 16th Essex 1/25/2022
2 of 2
 HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1592 FILED ON: 2/10/2021
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 965
By Mr. Lewis of Framingham, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 965) of Jack Patrick
Lewis and others for legislation to prohibit the sale of fur products. Environment, Natural
Resources and Agriculture.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_______________
In the One Hundred and Ninety-Second General Court
(2021-2022)
_______________
An Act prohibiting the sale of fur products.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 SECTION 1. New Chapter 110I to Title XV Regulation of Trade of the General Laws is
2 hereby added:
3 Chapter 110I: Trade of Fur Products
4 § 1. Purpose and Findings
5 (a) The General Court finds that animals that are slaughtered for their fur endure
6 tremendous suffering. Animals raised on fur farms typically spend their entire lives in cramped
7 and filthy cages. Fur farmers typically use the most inexpensive methods of slaughter available,
8 including suffocation, electrocution, gas, and poison.
9 (b) Considering the many alternatives available for fashion and apparel, the General
10 Court finds that the demand for fur products does not justify the unnecessary killing and cruel
11 treatment of animals.
1 of 4
12 (c) The General Court believes that eliminating the sale of certain fur products in the
13 Commonwealth of Massachusetts will promote community awareness of animal welfare and, in
14 turn, will foster a more humane environment in Massachusetts.
15 § 2. Terms defined
16 For the purposes of this chapter the following terms have the following meanings
17 (a) “Fur”, any animal skin or part thereof with hair, fleece, or fur fibers attached
18 thereto, either in its raw or processed state.
19 (b) (1) “Fur product”, any article of clothing or covering for any part of the body, or
20 any fashion accessory, including, but not limited to, handbags, shoes, slippers, hats, earmuffs,
21 scarves, shawls, gloves, jewelry, keychains, toys, and home accessories and décor, that is made
22 in whole or part of fur.
23 (2) “Fur product” does not include any of the following:
24 (i) A dog or cat fur product, as defined in 19 U.S.C. § 1308;
25 (ii) An animal skin or part thereof that is to be converted into leather, or which in
26 processing will have the hair, fleece, or fur fiber completely removed;
27 (iii) Cowhide with the hair attached thereto;
28 (iv) Lambskin or sheepskin with the fleece attached thereto; or
29 (v) The pelt or skin of any animal that is preserved through taxidermy or for the
30 purpose of taxidermy.
2 of 4
31 (c) “Non-profit organization”, any corporation that is organized under 26 U.S.C. §
32 501(c)(3) that is created for charitable, religious, philanthropic, educational, or similar purposes.
33 (d) “Taxidermy”, the practice of preparing and preserving the skin of an animal that
34 is deceased and stuffing and mounting it in a lifelike form.
35 (e) “Ultimate consumer”, an individual who buys a fur product for their own use, or
36 the use of another, but not for resale or trade.
37 (f) “Used fur product”, a fur product that has been worn or used by an ultimate
38 consumer.
39 § 3. Fur Product Prohibition; exemptions; penalties
40 (a) Notwithstanding M.G.L.A. 266 § 79 or any other provision of law, it is unlawful
41 to sell, offer for sale, display for sale, trade, or otherwise distribute for monetary or nonmonetary
42 consideration a fur product in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
43 (b) The prohibitions outlined in this Section do not apply to the sale, offer for sale,
44 displaying for sale, trade, or distribution of:
45 (1) a used fur product by an individual (excluding a retail transaction), non-profit
46 organization, or second-hand store, including a pawn shop;
47 (2) a fur product used for traditional tribal, cultural, or spiritual purposes by a
48 member of a federally recognized or state-recognized Native American tribe; or
49 (3) a fur product where the activity is expressly authorized by federal or state law.
3 of 4
50 (c) A person convicted of a violation of this Chapter shall be fined no less than five
51 hundred dollars nor more than five thousand dollars per fur product.
52 SECTION 2. Severability.
53 If any section, subsection, or paragraph of this Act shall be held unconstitutional either on
54 its face or as applied, the unconstitutionality of the section, subsection, or paragraph, or of the
55 application thereof, shall not affect the other sections, subsections, and paragraphs of this Act,
56 and the applications thereof; and to that end the sections, subsections, and paragraphs of this Act
57 are intended to be severable.
58 SECTION 3. Effective date.
59 This Act shall take effect no later than 180 days following the passage of this Act.
4 of 4