MISSOURI Rabies Waiver Bill ACTION ALERT

[Kris L. Christine]

MISSOURI MEDICAL EXEMPTION SB 566 ACTION ALERT: A medical exemption clause was included in SB 566 after The Rabies Challenge Fund petitioned the bill's sponsors. Bill SB 566 was read for the 2nd time in the Missouri House on 4/10/12 http://www.senate.mo.gov/12info/BTS_...=R&BillID=5884.

What You Can Do:

Please contact your legislators (http://www.senate.mo.gov/llookup/leg_lookup.aspx) & ask them to pass the bill.

Text of SB 566 http://www.senate.mo.gov/12info/pdf-bill/perf/SB566.pdf including exemption:

(5) "Statement of exemption from vaccination," a written determination, signed by a veterinarian, that a medical reason exists that precludes the vaccination for the dog or cat. The statement shall include the owner's name and address, a description of the animal, the medical reason that precludes vaccination, the date of determination, and the period of time for which the medical condition is reasonably expected to persist."

PERMISSION GRANTED TO CROSS-POST

[Kris L. Christine]

CORRECTION MISSOURI: The medical exemption clause in SB 566 was removed from the version of the bill which passed on 5/17/12. The "Truly Agreed To and Finally Passed" version of SB 566 which did pass http://www.senate.mo.gov/12info/pdf-bill/tat/SB566.pdf was not posted on the Legislature's website until a week after passage, leading to the incorrect conclusion that the "Perfected" bill text appearing on the Legislature's bill status including waivers http://www.senate.mo.gov/12info/pdf-bill/perf/SB566.pdf had passed. This version of the bill including rabies waivers did not, in fact, pass.

According to the Missouri Department of Agriculture's Legislative Liason, Rachel Mobley, the final version of SB 566 stripped the language which required all dogs and cats to be vaccinated against rabies. Because there is no statutory requirement for rabies vaccination in the final bill or in state law, there was no need for a medical exemption clause in SB 566. Rabies vaccination requirements are determined at the county level.