This year, California has passed some exciting new laws to protect animals yet disappointingly failed to pass other promising bills. Here’s a recap of California’s 2021 legislative session.

GREAT NEWS 

Animal Blood Harvesting Facilities to Be Phased Out (AB 1282)

Two privately-owned companies in the state supplied veterinarians with animal blood collected from hundreds of “donor dogs.” The caged dogs are held captive at the facilities to steal their blood over and over again. Until now, California was the only state that required the use of these “closed colony” blood banks. These horrendously cruel facilities will begin to be phased out under the newly passed AB 1282 on January 1, 2022.

Assemblyman Richard Bloom said, “California is the only state in the country that requires animal blood to come from so-called closed colonies that keep hundreds of animals confined for years for the sole purpose of harvesting their blood.”

Wildlife Corridors to Be Constructed to Save Animals from Collisions (SB 790)

SB 790 encourages the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) to implement proactive wildlife crossing projects that prevent animals from being killed by vehicles by giving them an alternate route to cross busy roads. This new law gives the California Department of Fish and Wildlife the authority to issue mitigation credits to Caltrans in exchange for those projects, which include constructing an overpass or underpass, vegetation management, directional fencing, and barrier modification. 

We are active members of the California Wildlife Corridor Working Group, which meets regularly to foster wildlife corridor projects and worked to ensure SB 790 became law. Now, a countless number of animals and motorists will be saved from life-threatening collisions.

DISAPPOINTMENTS

Vetoed: The California Deforestation-Free Procurement Act (AB 416)

Assemblymember Ash Kalra’s bill, the California Deforestation-Free Procurement Act (AB 416), aimed to “complement global efforts to curb deforestation and its attendant contribution to climate change by ensuring that entities contracting with the State of California do not contribute to tropical deforestation or primary boreal forest loss directly or through their supply chains.” After progressing through the state legislature, the bill was unfortunately vetoed by Gov. Gavin Newsom.  

Harmful Fire Prevention Bills Passed (SB 63 and SB 456)

We report with great regret that Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed bills SB 63 (Fire prevention: vegetation management: public education: grants: defensible space: fire hazard severity zones) and SB 456 (Fire prevention: wildfire and forest resilience: action plan: reports). We had urged many of you to speak out against these harmful bills, and almost 1,500 of our California supporters did, but Gov. Newsom has proceeded in a way that will be harmful to both California’s human and non-human residents. 

We all agree that California has a wildfire problem and that excessive wildfires are a concern for humans and other animals. However, the solution proposed in the bills Gov. Newsom has signed — to chop down, rip out, douse with herbicides, and burn 500,000 acres of biodiverse habitat annually — is ineffective and will make things worse, not better. The overwhelming majority of all damage caused by California wildfires results from wind-driven fires, and CAL FIRE itself acknowledges this “solution” is ineffective against wind-driven fires. In addition, California’s native plants — which require 10 or more years to take root — will be lost, and non-native grasslands will take over, a change that will be deadly for countless animals. 

Postponed: The Smart Climate Agriculture Program (AB 1289)

The Smart Climate Agriculture Program (AB 1289) was introduced in February 2021 and aimed to create a grant program to help farmers who raise animals for human consumption or grow animal feed crops to transition to plant-based agriculture. Unfortunately,  the hearing has been postponed until 2022 which is most likely a result of lobbying from special interest groups. You can still take action here.

We thank our California supporters for taking the time to advocate for animals in the state! We look forward to a long list of victories for animals and the environment in 2022!