FT 27.10: Fur Farming Ban Act

[Continential]

Section I: Naming
a. This bill shall be titled the Fur Farming Ban Act.

Section II: Definitions
a. ‘specified animal’ means—
(1) a dog, fox, jackal, wolf and all other members of the Canidae
family,
(2) a domestic cat, wild feline and all other members of the Felidae
family,
(3) a hare, rabbit and all other members of the Leporidae family,
(4) a mink, weasel, stoat and all other Rodentia,
(5) a raccoon, olingo and all other members of the Procyonidae family,
(6) a civet and all other members of the Viverridae family,
(7) a reptile

b. ‘fur or skin farming’ means the breeding, rearing or keeping of a specified animal solely or primarily for the value of, or the manufacture of products from, its fur or skin;

Section III: Banning Fur Farming
 A person shall not—
a. engage in fur or skin farming, or
b. possess or have under their control a specified animal for the purpose of—
1. breeding, rearing or keeping the specified animal for or on behalf of a person who is engaged in the fur or skin farming of the specified animal, or
2. selling or supplying the specified animal to another person to be used by the other person for the fur or skin farming of the specified animal.

Section IV: Removing Licenses
a. All licenses to fur farms that have been granted by the government of Fremont or states within Fremont before the date on which this Act comes into operation are, on that date, revoked.

Section V: Recovering Animals
a. All fur farms in Fremont must, within thirty (30) days of this act going into effect, and at their own expense, relocate their animals to a wildlife rehabilitation facility that already has the same species of animal in their care. Should a rehabilitation facility be unable to accept the animal, the fur farm must find an alternate rehabilitation facility. If the first two (2) facilities that are approached decline, rehabilitation facilities without the same species of animal in their care may be considered.
b. After thirty (30) days of this act doing into effect, local law enforcement are authorized and requested by the Government of Fremont to investigate fur farm sites to ensure that no animals remain. Should animals still remain in the fur farm, they are to be seized immediately.
c. Seized animals are to be transported to the nearest wildlife rehabilitation facility using the same guidelines as Section V, Subsection a of this Act.

Section VI: Punishment
a. A person operating in violation of Section III of this act shall be punished by a charge of animal cruelty and a charge of no less than 6 months and a fine of no less than $5,000, and no more than 2 years imprisonment and a fine of no more than $100,000, dependent on the severity of the crime as interpreted by a judge.
b. A fur farm that does not send their animals to a rehabilitation facility shall be fined a minimum $5000 per animal.
c. A fur farm found to have killed an animal to avoid rehoming at a rehabilitation facility will be liable to pay at minimum an additional $10,000 per animal, in addition to potential criminal penalties for animal cruelty law violations.

Section VII: Fund for Rehabilitation Facilities
a. Due to the potential burden placed on rehabilitation facilities by this act, the government of Fremont shall set aside a fund of five-hundred million dollars ($500,000,000), henceforth referred to as the Fur Farm Rehabilitation Fund, to be granted to rehabilitation facilities that take in animals from fur farms due to this act and file an application for funds. Grants to rehabilitation facilities shall not exceed the amount of one million dollars ($1,000,000) unless the applicant can prove that the cost of taking care of new arrivals at their facility due to this act exceeds the amount of five-hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) annually.
b. Fines extracted in Section VI of this act are to go solely to the Fur Farm Rehabilitation Fund.

Section VIII: Enactment
a. This act shall go into effect immediately.

Sponsor: Ebowed

The honorable member from Washington is recognized.

[Ebowed]

Thank you.  I cannot take credit for this legislation, it was drafted by Weatherboy although I have made some minor revisions, largely instating higher fines.  The premise is straightforward: fur farming is cruel and unnecessary.  Animals are skinned alive to provide this product and with advances in the textiles industry it is clearly not necessary or justifiable.

[GM Team Member and Senator WB]

I thank Ebowed for bringing this legislation into a region where fur farms are widespread. Dozens in Idaho alone, as well as several in Oregon, Minnesota, Utah, and others.

Let us end this cruel practice.

[Ebowed]

Does this need to be re-introduced into the new session?  If not, I motion for a final vote.

[Continential]

24 hours to object.

[Continential]

Vote has been started

Aye

[AustralianSwingVoter]

Nay

[Ebowed]

Aye

[Zinneke]

Abstain

[Continential]

Section I: Naming
a. This bill shall be titled the Fur Farming Ban Act.

Section II: Definitions
a. ‘specified animal’ means—
(1) a dog, fox, jackal, wolf and all other members of the Canidae
family,
(2) a domestic cat, wild feline and all other members of the Felidae
family,
(3) a hare, rabbit and all other members of the Leporidae family,
(4) a mink, weasel, stoat and all other Rodentia,
(5) a raccoon, olingo and all other members of the Procyonidae family,
(6) a civet and all other members of the Viverridae family,
(7) a reptile

b. ‘fur or skin farming’ means the breeding, rearing or keeping of a specified animal solely or primarily for the value of, or the manufacture of products from, its fur or skin;

Section III: Banning Fur Farming
 A person shall not—
a. engage in fur or skin farming, or
b. possess or have under their control a specified animal for the purpose of—
1. breeding, rearing or keeping the specified animal for or on behalf of a person who is engaged in the fur or skin farming of the specified animal, or
2. selling or supplying the specified animal to another person to be used by the other person for the fur or skin farming of the specified animal.

Section IV: Removing Licenses
a. All licenses to fur farms that have been granted by the government of Fremont or states within Fremont before the date on which this Act comes into operation are, on that date, revoked.

Section V: Recovering Animals
a. All fur farms in Fremont must, within thirty (30) days of this act going into effect, and at their own expense, relocate their animals to a wildlife rehabilitation facility that already has the same species of animal in their care. Should a rehabilitation facility be unable to accept the animal, the fur farm must find an alternate rehabilitation facility. If the first two (2) facilities that are approached decline, rehabilitation facilities without the same species of animal in their care may be considered.
b. After thirty (30) days of this act doing into effect, local law enforcement are authorized and requested by the Government of Fremont to investigate fur farm sites to ensure that no animals remain. Should animals still remain in the fur farm, they are to be seized immediately.
c. Seized animals are to be transported to the nearest wildlife rehabilitation facility using the same guidelines as Section V, Subsection a of this Act.

Section VI: Punishment
a. A person operating in violation of Section III of this act shall be punished by a charge of animal cruelty and a charge of no less than 6 months and a fine of no less than $5,000, and no more than 2 years imprisonment and a fine of no more than $100,000, dependent on the severity of the crime as interpreted by a judge.
b. A fur farm that does not send their animals to a rehabilitation facility shall be fined a minimum $5000 per animal.
c. A fur farm found to have killed an animal to avoid rehoming at a rehabilitation facility will be liable to pay at minimum an additional $10,000 per animal, in addition to potential criminal penalties for animal cruelty law violations.

Section VII: Fund for Rehabilitation Facilities
a. Due to the potential burden placed on rehabilitation facilities by this act, the government of Fremont shall set aside a fund of five-hundred million dollars ($500,000,000), henceforth referred to as the Fur Farm Rehabilitation Fund, to be granted to rehabilitation facilities that take in animals from fur farms due to this act and file an application for funds. Grants to rehabilitation facilities shall not exceed the amount of one million dollars ($1,000,000) unless the applicant can prove that the cost of taking care of new arrivals at their facility due to this act exceeds the amount of five-hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) annually.
b. Fines extracted in Section VI of this act are to go solely to the Fur Farm Rehabilitation Fund.

Section VIII: Enactment
a. This act shall go into effect immediately.

With two ayes, one nay, and one abstention - this Act passes.

x. The Op, First Minister.

Signing statement

Fur farming is a cruel practice; to keep animals in very cruel conditions for the sake of fashion is inhumane and morally wrong in an age where there are numerous alternatives that aren't inhumane.

[GM Team Member and Senator WB]

Thank you to the FM and MFP for bringing this through, I find it odd anyone could see reason to vote against this, but what matters is it passed.