Important Changes to Humane Society Law: An Overview of HB 24

February 9, 2021 – Live Interactive Webinar via Zoom

12:30 – 1:30 p.m.

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1.00 hr. General CLE Pending by Supreme Court of Ohio

House Bill 24 was signed by Governor DeWine on December 29, 2020, and goes into effect at the end of March. This lengthy bill removes antiquities in humane society law, creates care bond hearings and restitution for livestock, allows for chemical capture, and reiterates SB 331 laws that were nullified in some Ohio counties.

Jeff Holland, partner in the firm of Holland & Muirden and special prosecutor for hundreds of animal cruelty cases in many courts across Ohio for almost 30 years, will review the pertinent aspects of HB 24, including how it:

• Reenacts current law provisions governing animal fighting, bestiality, and humane agent residency requirements, which were struck down in the Ohio Sixth Appellate District; thus making those provisions now enforceable in that district again; 

• Allows dog wardens to use chemical capture on companion animals; 

• Clarifies that a dog warden can "donate" or "adopt" out dogs that are not redeemed by their owner and may charge an adoption fee; 

• Codifies humane society procedures for appointment and removal of humane agents, nonprosecution agreements, and public records that were previously only determined by case law; 

• Creates a yearly report of humane society activity that is submitted to the county sheriff; 

• Removes the antiquated “Ohio Humane Society" and provisions regarding humane society enforcement of crimes related to children; 

• Specifies that a humane agent is a public servant for the purposes of bribery law; 

• Increases the minimum monthly salary of humane agents to $150 a month. 

This Live Interactive Webinar has 1.00 hr. of General CLE Pending from the Supreme Court of Ohio. Please note that there is a 24 hour limitation on Live Interactive Webinars (see Gov. Bar R. X, Sec. 5 (E)(2)). This program has also been pre-approved for 1.00 hr. Certified Animal Welfare Administrator continuing education credits by The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement.

REGISTRATION FEE 

• $20 per organization for members of the Ohio Animal Welfare Federation 

• $30 per organization for non-members 

• Add $15 to registration fee for each person requesting 1.00 hr CLE