The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.Pennsylvania House Bill 295 Mandates Kennel License Revocations for Animal Cruelty and Establishes Whistleblower Protections
Last action · January 23, 2025: Referred to AGRICULTURE AND RURAL AFFAIRS, Jan. 23, 2025Sponsors: Ryan Bizzarro and 22 others
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What This Bill Would Do
Pennsylvania House Bill 295 requires the secretary to revoke kennel, dealer, or out-of-state dealer licenses if a licensee is convicted of specific animal cruelty offenses or animal fighting, and prohibits selling dogs bred by persons cited by the USDA for certain violations. The bill also grants whistleblower protections to employees of entities subject to the Dog Law who report potential violations. The measure takes effect in 180 days.
Licensed commercial breeders and dealers face mandatory license revocations and sales restrictions based on animal cruelty convictions and federal citations, while facility workers gain legal protections when reporting violations.
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Kennel owners and dog dealers
Kennel owners and dealers face mandatory license revocation upon certain criminal convictions and are restricted from selling dogs sourced from breeders with specific USDA citations.
Employees of regulated entities
Workers at businesses and facilities subject to the Dog Law receive legal protections when making good faith reports of potential violations.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
What criminal convictions trigger a mandatory kennel license revocation?
What USDA citation history prevents a kennel from selling a breeder's dogs?
Are employees protected if they report violations?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.
Procedural history
1 action- Jan 23, 2025HouseCommitteeReferred to AGRICULTURE AND RURAL AFFAIRS, Jan. 23, 2025
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Show 18 more sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Expansion of Disqualification Criteria for Kennel Licenses
The bill transitions from discretionary penalties to mandatory revocations and refusals for specific animal cruelty and neglect convictions.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.palegis.us
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance75How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy40Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz30Current news / social attention level
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