Collaboration for 2024 Legislation - Strategy

The Legislative Advisory Group's (LAG) objective is to discuss, define, create, and prioritize bills for Virginia's 2024 legislative body.  We will work to organize both national organizations and Virginia state animal welfare and law enforcement leaders to prepare and promote a priority list for the January 2024 legislative session.  By working together on shared goals, our unified approach may help us achieve our individual objectives.  Each organization will have one vote for each agreed upon agenda item.  

Upon completion of the work, a cover letter signed by all involved will convey to any legislative body of our agreed upon commitment to the initiative(s.)

A key consideration is a Virginia version of New York's Animal Care Standards Act for Shelters and Rescues.  In order to enhance the lives of homeless companion animals, this proposed bill will recognize and define the full scope of Virginia's animal sheltering and rescue operations as defined by the Association of Shelter Veterinarians' 2010 Guidelines for Standards of Care in Animal Shelters second edition - December 2022.  LAG will not consider a standards act for 2024 due to the comprehensive nature of the proposed bill.  The goal would be to have draft versions and budgets available for consideration in 2025.  Example provisions in this bill address:

• License requirements and facilities inspection

• Personnel training requirements

• Recordkeeping

• Facilities standards

• Animal housing

• Sanitation

• Shelter management protocols

• Veterinary care

• Foster care and transportation

• and much more

LAG will also discuss securing state funds for:

• Shelter/rescue capital improvements statewide starting with a state-wide survey of need

• Funds for law enforcement and animal welfare curriculum, training, accreditation, and conferences

• Establishing an emergency fund used to assist units and individuals affected by injury or loss in the performance of their duties.

We will Involve law students from William and Mary and the University of Virginia School of Law as interns.  This approach offers these students an opportunity to meet current state leaders and to work on impactful legislation.

Invited Legislative Advisory Group Members

The following organizations and "suggested" representatives will be asked to participate in the LAG's efforts to enhance and improve Virginia's animal welfare standing and to help secure state funding to underwrite initiatives and bills that result in legislative priorities.

1. Animal Legal Defense Fund (Alicia Prygoski)

   • Established in 1979, the Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) remains the only national animal protection nonprofit exclusively focused on legal strategies to protect animals.  Each year, ALDF publishes its U.S. State Animal Protection Laws Ranking Report. 
     It is the longest-running and most authoritative report of its kind, assessing the strength of each state’s animal protection laws by examining over 3,400 pages of statutes.  Virginia moved up to 15th in the country in 2022, previously ranked 17th nationwide in 2021.  (2022 Ranking Report and priorities.)  Their current priorities are:

     • Stop AG-Gag Laws

     • No More Puppy Mills

     • Using Local Legislation to 

       • Protect Animals

       • Prohibit Circus and Traveling Shows

       • Fur Bans

2. Humane Society of the United States (Molly Armus)

   • Takes on puppy mills, factory farms, the fur trade, trophy hunting, animal cosmetics testing and other cruel industries. Through their rescue, response and sanctuary work, as well as other hands-on animal care services, they help thousands of animals every year. They fight all forms of animal cruelty to achieve the vision behind our name: a humane society.  Their priorities are:

     • End the cruelest practices toward all animals like trophy hunting, cosmetics animal testing and improving the lives of farm animals.

     • Care for animals in crisis.

     • Build a stronger animal protection movement.

   • During Virginia's 2023 Legislative Session, HSUS worked on:

     • Affordable, pet-inclusive housing 

     • Increased transparency at animal research facilities

     • Penalties for noncompliance at animal testing facilities

     • Prohibit public contact with elephants

     • Ban cat declawing

3. Virginia's Office of the Attorney General (Michelle Welch)

4. Virginia Animal Control Association (Capt. Willie Tydings)

5. Virginia's State Veterinarian (Dr. Charles Broaddus)

6. Virginia Veterinarian Medical Association (Dr. Kelly Gottschalk)

7. Best Friend (Makenna Yarborough)

8. Virginia State Police (Joe Williams)

9. Best Friends Animal Society (Ledy VanKavage)

10. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Daphna Nachminovitch)

11. Lobbyist (Holly Hazard)

12. Virginia Federation of Humane Societies (Heidi Meinzer)

13. Virginia Animal Protection (Bob Tubbs - events, marketing, and promotion)

Identifying Legislative Sponsors

LAG will discuss, evaluate, and select Legislators from the Virginia House and Virginia Senate and approach them to consider bill(s) sponsorship.  We will work with their staff on bill language and budgets from the intern's work.  

The Humane Society of the US manages a Legislative Fund that tracks voting records of elected officials.  2023 is an election year resulting in a 25% turnover in the Virginia Congress.  Molly Armus and Amanda Coker are our HSUS contacts and can assist with the sponsorship selection.

Resources - Law Schools

The College of William and Mary Law School is interested in providing interns but require a licensed attorney to oversee their work.  Michelle Welch is also a professor at the University of Virginia's School of Law, who we intend to approach for intern assistance as well.  

The interns will research agreed upon priorities and prepare language for the group to consider.  Once the 2024 Virginia legislative priority list is compiled, we will assign the interns to research various aspects of the following and prepare recommendations:

• Research similar laws in other states to include win/loss records in court

• Research prosecutorial techniques and winning strategies

• Devise legislative language to include process and punishment

• Identify any  legal or civic trends associated with proposed law

• Provide financial and budget recommendations

• Report finding and recommendation to main group

Subject Matter Experts

Subject experts will be asked to participate as needed.  Once the priorities are defined, LAG members will reach out to experts to assist in legislative language development.  Topics will include wildlife, farm animals, animal research, and animal care.

Timeline, Process, and Deliverables

The Legislative Advisory Group will meet at pre-determined intervals to review legislative opportunities and discuss priorities from June through September 2023.  Each member will submit their recommendations and priorities.  

Once bills are drafted, letters of agreement and estimated budget impact statements will be drafted.  Meetings with selected Legislators will take place through September through November.  Bills must be submitted by the end of November.

An email to proposed members was sent 1 June 2023.