BILL NUMBER: SB 1229 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY AUGUST 24, 2012
AMENDED IN SENATE MAY 10, 2012
AMENDED IN SENATE MARCH 29, 2012
INTRODUCED BY Senator Pavley
(Principal coauthor: Assembly Member Dickinson)
(Coauthors: Assembly Members Gatto and Portantino)
FEBRUARY 23, 2012
An act to add Section 1942.7 to the Civil Code, relating to rental
property.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SB 1229, as amended, Pavley. Real property: rentals: animals.
Existing law regulates the terms and conditions of residential
tenancies and governs the obligations of tenants and landlords under
a lease or tenancy.
This bill would prohibit a landlord, that allows a tenant to have
an animal on the premises, from advertising or establishing rental
policies in a manner that requires a tenant or a potential tenant
with an animal to have that animal declawed or devocalized as a
condition of occupancy. This The bill would
authorize specified law enforcement prosecutorial entities to seek
declaratory or injunctive relief for a violation of these
prohibitions. The bill would impose a civil penalty, not to
exceed $1,000, for each violation of these provisions, to be paid to
the person or law enforcement
prosecutorial entity that brings the action. This bill
would specifically authorize a person to seek declaratory or
injunctive relief for a violation of this prohibition.
This bill would additionally authorize specified law enforcement
prosecutorial entities to enforce these prohibitions.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no.
State-mandated local program: no.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. The Legislature finds and declares:
(a) The permanence of declawing and devocalizing contrasts with
the temporary nature of the occupancy of real property owned by
another, which generally lasts only for a fixed term and may be
terminated upon notice by one of the parties.
(b) Therefore, it is the intent of the Legislature to restrict the
ability of a person or corporation to impose conditions on occupancy
of property that are based on declawing or devocalizing an animal
that is allowed on the premises.
SEC. 2. Section 1942.7 is added to the Civil Code, to read:
1942.7. (a) A person or corporation that occupies, owns, manages,
or provides services in connection with any real property, including
the individual's or corporation's agents or successors in interest,
and that allows an animal on the premises, shall not do any of the
following:
(1) Advertise, through any means, the availability of real
property for occupancy in a manner designed to discourage application
for occupancy of that real property because an applicant's animal
has not been declawed or devocalized.
(2) Refuse to allow the occupancy of any real property, refuse to
negotiate the occupancy of any real property, or otherwise make
unavailable or deny to any other person the occupancy of any real
property because of that person's refusal to declaw or devocalize any
animal.
(3) Require any tenant or occupant of real property to declaw or
devocalize any animal allowed on the premises.
(b) For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:
(1) "Animal" means any mammal, bird, reptile, or amphibian.
(2) "Application for occupancy" means all phases of the process of
applying for the right to occupy real property, including, but not
limited to, filling out applications, interviewing, and submitting
references.
(3) "Claw" means a hardened keratinized modification of the
epidermis, or a hardened keratinized growth, that extends from the
end of the digits of certain mammals, birds, reptiles, and
amphibians, often commonly referred to as a "claw," "talon," or
"nail."
(4) "Declawing" means performing, procuring, or arranging for any
procedure, such as an onychectomy, tendonectomy, or phalangectomy, to
remove or to prevent the normal function of an animal's claw or
claws.
(5) "Devocalizing" means performing, procuring, or arranging for
any surgical procedure such as a vocal cordectomy, to remove an
animal's vocal cords or to prevent the normal function of an animal's
vocal cords.
(6) "Owner" means any person who has any right, title, or interest
in real property.
(c) (1) In addition to any person harmed by a violation
of this section, a A city attorney, district
attorney, or other law enforcement prosecutorial entity has standing
to enforce this section and may sue for declaratory relief ,
or injunctive relief , or for monetary
relief as for a violation of this section,
and to enforce the civil penalties provided in
paragraph paragraphs (2) and (3) .
(2) In addition to any other penalty allowed by law, a violation
of this section paragraph (1) of subdivision
(a) shall result in a civil penalty of not more than one
thousand dollars ($1,000) , per animal
advertisement , to be paid to the
person or entity that is authorized to bring an
the action under this section.
(3) In addition to any other penalty allowed by law, a violation
of paragraph (2) or (3) of subdivision (a) shall result in a civil
penalty of not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000) per animal, to
be paid to the entity that is authorized to bring the action under
this section.