PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 394 PRINTER'S NO. 1431
No. 350 Session of 1983
INTRODUCED BY MURPHY, RYAN, COWELL, CALTAGIRONE, TRELLO,
MICHLOVIC, VAN HORNE, GREENWOOD, DAWIDA AND DONATUCCI,
MARCH 1, 1983
AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE AND RURAL AFFAIRS,
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED, JUNE 20, 1983
AN ACT
1 Relating to euthanasia of pet animals; prohibiting certain
2 methods of euthanasia; and requiring certain training in the
3 administration of drugs; and providing penalties.
4 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
5 hereby enacts as follows:
6 Section 1. Prohibited means of euthanasia.
7 No animal shall be euthanized by means of a high altitude
8 decompression chamber or decompression device.
9 Section 2. Methods of euthanasia.
10 (a) Required method.--The required method of euthanasia
11 shall be by the administration of an overdose of a barbiturate,
12 barbiturate combinations, drug or drug combinations approved for
13 this purpose by the Federal Drug Administration and in
14 accordance with guidelines established by the American <--
15 Veterinary Medical Association PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF <--
16 AGRICULTURE.
17 (b) Authorized method.--Nothing in this act shall prevent a
1 person or Humane Society organization from euthanizing a pet
2 animal by means of firearms.
3 Section 3. Administration of drugs.
4 The barbiturates, barbiturate combinations or other Federal
5 Drug Administration approved drugs or drug combinations shall be
6 administered by intravenous, intraperitoneal or intracardiac
7 injections or orally by a licensed veterinarian or by a person
8 trained in the proper restraint, handling determination of death
9 and injection by the methods approved in this section by a
10 licensed veterinarian. The training shall be at least four hours
11 in duration and the person shall be certified as competent, in
12 writing, by that veterinarian.
13 Section 4. Exclusions.
14 Sections 2 and 3 of this act shall not apply to a medical
15 school or school of veterinary medicine or a research
16 institution affiliated with a hospital or university.
17 SECTION 5. EXISTING CARBON MONOXIDE EUTHANASIA SYSTEMS. <--
18 SECTION 2(A) OF THIS ACT SHALL NOT APPLY IN CASES WHERE ANY
19 HUMANE SOCIETY ORGANIZATION OR ANY OTHER SIMILAR ORGANIZATION
20 CURRENTLY UTILIZES CARBON MONOXIDE GAS IN EUTHANIZING ANIMALS
21 AND USE OF THE CARBON MONOXIDE EUTHANASIA SYSTEM MEETS THE
22 FOLLOWING REQUIREMENTS:
23 (1) CARBON MONOXIDE GAS SHALL NOT BE USED ON ANIMALS
24 UNDER THE AGE OF EIGHT WEEKS.
25 (2) CARBON MONOXIDE GAS SYSTEMS SHALL CONSIST OF AND BE
26 EQUIPPED WITH:
27 (I) A TIGHTLY ENCLOSED CABINET FOR THE PURPOSE OF
28 CONTAINING THE ANIMALS DURING THE EUTHANASIA PROCESS.
29 (II) INTERNAL LIGHTING AND A WINDOW FOR DIRECT
30 VISUAL OBSERVATION IN THE CABINET AT ALL TIMES.
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1 (III) A GAS GENERATION CAPABLE OF ACHIEVING A
2 CONCENTRATION OF CARBON MONOXIDE GAS OF AT LEAST 5%
3 THROUGHOUT THE CABINET.
4 (IV) A GAUGE OR GAS CONCENTRATION INDICATOR OR
5 RECORDING DEVICE.
6 (V) A MEANS OF SEPARATING ANIMALS FROM EACH OTHER
7 WITHIN THE CABINET, IF THE CABINET IS OF SUFFICIENT SIZE
8 TO FACILITATE MORE THAN ONE ANIMAL.
9 (VI) A MEANS OF FULLY REMOVING THE CARBON MONOXIDE
10 GAS FROM THE CABINET UPON COMPLETION OF THE EUTHANASIA
11 PROCESS.
12 (VII) IF AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE IS USED, A
13 MEANS OF COOLING THE GAS TO A TEMPERATURE NOT TO EXCEED
14 115 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT AT THE POINT OF ENTRY INTO THE
15 CABINET AND NOT TO EXCEED 90 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT AT ANY
16 POINT IN THE CABINET AS DETERMINED BY TEMPERATURE GAUGES
17 PERMANENTLY INSTALLED AT POINT OF ENTRY AND INSIDE THE
18 CABINET.
19 (VIII) IF THE GAS IS GENERATED BY AN INTERNAL
20 COMBUSTION ENGINE, A MEANS OF REMOVING OR FILTERING OUT
21 ALL NOXIOUS FUMES, IRRITATING ACIDS AND CARBON PARTICLES
22 FROM THE GAS BEFORE IT ENTERS THE CABINET.
23 (IX) IF AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE IS USED, A
24 MEANS OF SUBSTANTIALLY DEADENING THE SOUND AND VIBRATION
25 TRANSMISSION FROM THE ENGINE TO THE CABINET, BY PLACING
26 THEM IN SEPARATE ROOMS OR SOUNDPROOF COMPARTMENTS
27 CONNECTING THEM WITH FLEXIBLE TUBING OR PIPE AT LEAST 24
28 INCHES IN LENGTH, SO THAT THE NOISE LEVEL WITHIN THE
29 CABINET SHALL NOT EXCEED 70 DECIBELS.
30 (X) IF AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE IS USED, A
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1 MEANS FOR EXHAUSTING THE INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE GAS
2 DURING THE PERIOD OF ENGINE WARMUP.
3 (3) UPON COMPLETION OF THE EUTHANASIA PROCESS, ANIMALS
4 SHALL NOT BE REMOVED FROM THE CABINET UNTIL THE CARBON
5 MONOXIDE GAS HAS BEEN FULLY REMOVED FROM THE CABINET.
6 Section 5 6. Penalty. <--
7 Any person or organization found guilty of violating the
8 provisions of this act shall be fined not to exceed $250 per
9 violation day.
10 Section 6 7. Effective date. <--
11 This act shall take effect in 60 days SIX MONTHS. <--
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