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Current Status Bill Number:View additional legislative information at the LPITS web site.4374 Type of Legislation:General Bill GB Introducing Body:House Introduced Date:20000111 Primary Sponsor:Rodgers All Sponsors:Rodgers, Vaughn Drafted Document Number:l:\council\bills\gjk\20859sd00.doc Residing Body:House Current Committee:Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs Com 20 HANR Subject:Ferrets, to provide notice may make unprovoked attacks; Animals History Body Date Action Description Com Leg Involved ______ ________ ______________________________________ _______ ____________ House 20000111 Introduced, read first time, 20 HANR referred to Committee House 19991229 Prefiled, referred to Committee 20 HANR Versions of This Bill
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 IN THIS PROHIBITION, TO EXEMPT DOMESTICATED FERRETS FROM THIS PROHIBITION, TO PROVIDE THAT NO DOMESTICATED FERRETS MAY BE SOLD IN THIS STATE WITHOUT A PROPER AND CORRECT VACCINATION 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:
SECTION 1. Section 47-5-50 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
"Section 47-5-50. (A) No carnivores, which are normally are not domesticated, may be sold as a pet in this State. Such The carnivores shall include animals known to be reservoirs of rabies, such as raccoons, foxes, skunks, and bobcats and such related species, including, but not limited to, coyotes, wolves, weasels, ferrets, civet cats, spotted skunks, or and lynx. Any such An animal provided for in this section and kept by an individual shall must not be allowed to run at large and then be returned to confinement. A normally wild animal indigenous to this State may, if held captive for a period of time, may be released to the wild. This section does not apply to domesticated ferrets. However, no domesticated ferret may be sold in this State without a 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 domesticated 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.' "
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.
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