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Current Status Bill Number:View additional legislative information at the LPITS web site.118 Ratification Number:213 Act Number:217 Type of Legislation:General Bill GB Introducing Body:Senate Introduced Date:19990112 Primary Sponsor:Mescher All Sponsors:Mescher, Reese Drafted Document Number:l:\council\bills\bbm\9998djc99.doc Date Bill Passed both Bodies:20000127 Date of Last Amendment:19990127 Governor's Action:S Date of Governor's Action:20000225 Subject:Ferrets, notice may attack unprovoked required; Animals History Body Date Action Description Com Leg Involved ______ ________ ______________________________________ _______ ____________ ------ 20000331 Act No. A217 ------ 20000225 Signed by Governor ------ 20000223 Ratified R213 House 20000127 Read third time, enrolled for ratification House 20000126 Read second time House 20000112 Debate adjourned until Wednesday, 20000126 House 19990630 Debate adjourned House 19990603 Debate adjourned until Tuesday, 19990608 House 19990602 Request for debate withdrawn by Representative F. Smith Breeland McMahand House 19990601 Objection by Representative Breeland McMahand House 19990601 Request for debate withdrawn by Representative Seithel Witherspoon Edge Kelley House 19990527 Request for debate withdrawn by Representative Barrett House 19990527 Request for debate withdrawn by Representative McMahand Kennedy J. Hines Lee House 19990526 Request for debate withdrawn by Representative Davenport House 19990519 Request for debate by Representative Moody- Lawrence F. Smith McMahand Lee Hinson Kennedy Witherspoon Kelley Edge Davenport J. Hines Barrett House 19990518 Objection and request for debate withdrawn by Representative Law Chellis Hinson House 19990513 Objection by Representative Law House 19990513 Request for debate by Representative Kirsh Hinson Chellis Seithel House 19990511 Committee report: Favorable 20 HANR House 19990202 Introduced, read first time, 20 HANR referred to Committee Senate 19990128 Read third time, sent to House Senate 19990127 Read second time Senate 19990127 Committee amendment adopted Senate 19990126 Committee report: Favorable with 01 SANR amendment Senate 19990112 Introduced, read first time, 01 SANR referred to Committee Senate 19981118 Prefiled, referred to Committee 01 SANR Versions of This Bill Revised on January 26, 1999 - Word format Revised on January 27, 1999 - Word format Revised on May 11, 1999 - Word format
(A217, R213, S118)
AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 47-5-50, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE PROHIBITION ON THE SALE OF WILD CARNIVORES AS PETS, SO AS TO DELETE THE REFERENCE TO FERRETS, EXEMPT DOMESTICATED FERRETS FROM THE PROHIBITION, PROVIDE FOR VACCINATION OF FERRETS AGAINST RABIES, AND TO PROVIDE FOR NOTICES THAT FERRETS HAVE A PROPENSITY TO MAKE UNPROVOKED ATTACKS THAT CAUSE BODILY INJURY TO A HUMAN BEING.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
Prohibition on sale of wild carnivores as pets; sale of domesticated ferrets permitted
SECTION 1. Section 47-5-50 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
"Section 47-5-50. (A) No carnivores, which normally are not domesticated, may be sold as a pet in this State. The carnivores include animals known to be reservoirs of rabies such as raccoons, foxes, skunks, and bobcats and related species including, but not limited to, coyotes, wolves, weasels, civet cats, spotted skunks, and lynx. An animal provided for in this section and kept by an individual must not be allowed to run at large and then returned to confinement. A normally wild animal indigenous to this State, if held captive for a period of time, may be released to the wild. This section does not apply to domesticated ferrets. However, no ferret may be sold in this State without proper and current vaccination against rabies. Evidence of rabies vaccination is a certificate signed by a licensed veterinarian. A person who purchases or possesses a domesticated ferret shall maintain proper vaccination treatment for it annually.
(B) Purchasers of a domesticated ferret must be provided with a notice not less than eight inches by eleven inches which shall bear the following inscription in letters not less than three-fourths inch high:
'FERRETS HAVE A PROPENSITY TO MAKE UNPROVOKED ATTACKS THAT CAUSE BODILY INJURY TO A HUMAN BEING.'
(C) Each business establishment in this State, to which has been issued a retail sales tax license, which offers ferrets for sale must prominently display a notice not less than eight inches by eleven inches which shall bear the following inscription in letters not less than three-fourths inch high:
'FERRETS HAVE A PROPENSITY TO MAKE UNPROVOKED ATTACKS THAT CAUSE BODILY INJURY TO A HUMAN BEING.' "
Time effective
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.
Ratified the 23rd day of February, 2000.
Approved the 25th day of February, 2000.
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