Massachusetts legislation · 194th General Court
Massachusetts H4319: An Act banning the retail sale of dogs, cats, rabbits, and guinea pigs in pet shops
Status: In committee, June 8, 2026
What the bill says
From the introduced text, March 27, 2025:
SECTION 1. Section 39A of chapter 129 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting, in line 1, before the word “Every”, the following letter:- (a) SECTION 2. Said section 39A of said chapter 129 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by striking out, in line 13, the word “section”, and inserting in place thereof the following word:- subsection SECTION 3. Said section 39A of said chapter 129 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by inserting after subsection (a) the following 3 subsections:- (b) No person engaged in the business of operating a pet shop for which a license must be obtained pursuant to subsection (a); and are regulated under 330 CMR 12.00 shall sell or offer for sale a dog, cat, rabbit, or guinea pig. (c) Subsection (b) shall not be construed to prohibit a pet shop from offering space to an animal rescue or shelter organization to showcase dogs, cats, rabbits, or guinea pigs for adoption so long as the pet shop does not have an ownership interest in the animals offered for adoption. (d) Nothing in subsections (b) or (c) shall affect the authority of any town, city, or other locality to regulate or prohibit the sale of dogs, …
Sponsors
- Adam Scanlon (D, 14th Bristol) · primary sponsor
- Manny Cruz (D)
- Margaret Scarsdale (D)
- Michelle DuBois (D, 10th Plymouth)
- Jack Lewis (D, 7th Middlesex)
- James Arena-DeRosa (D)
- Bridget Plouffe (D)
- Rodney Elliott (D)
- Meghan Kilcoyne (D, 12th Worcester)
- Erika Uyterhoeven (D, 27th Middlesex)
- John Barrett (D)
Latest actions
- : Read second and ordered to a third reading
- : Rules suspended
- : Committee reported that the matter be placed in the Orders of the Day for the next sitting
- : Bill reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on House Steering, Policy and Scheduling
- : Reported on the residue of H5369
- : Reported from the committee on House Rules
- : Accompanied a study order, see H5369 (under House Rule 27)
- : Hearing scheduled for 10/21/2025 from 01:00 PM-05:00 PM in A-1
- : Senate concurred
- : Discharged to the committee on Environment and Natural Resources
Common questions
- What is H4319?
- H4319 is a bill in the Massachusetts Legislature (194th General Court): An Act banning the retail sale of dogs, cats, rabbits, and guinea pigs in pet shops.
- What is the status of H4319?
- In committee as of June 8, 2026. Latest action: Read second and ordered to a third reading (June 8, 2026).
- Who sponsored H4319?
- Adam Scanlon (D, 14th Bristol), with 10 co-sponsors.
- Where is the official record for H4319?
- On the Massachusetts Legislature website: https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H4319
Source: official Massachusetts record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.