Bill Summaries: all (2015-2016 Session)

Tracking:
  • Summary date: May 11 2016 - View summary

    Current GS 19A-63(a) conditions a county or city's eligibility for reimbursement from the Spay/Neuter Account (established under GS 19A-62) on whether the county or city offers one or more of the specified programs to low-income persons on a year-round basis for the purpose of reducing the cost of spaying and neutering procedures for dogs and cats.

    Amends the second allowed program which allowed a spay/neuter clinic to be operated by a non-profit organization under contract or other arrangement with the county or city (no longer requires that the non- profit organization contract with a local veterinarian to perform the spay-neuter procedures). Amends the fourth allowed program which provides for a subvention of the spaying and neutering costs incurred by low-income pet owners through the use of vouchers or other procedures that provides a discount of the cost of the spaying or neutering procedure fixed by a participating veterinarian or other provider (currently, only allows cost fixed by a participating veterinarian).  

    Amends the definition of low-income person as it applies in Article 5 (Spay/Neuter Program) of GS Chapter 19A. Low-income person now means an individual who qualifies for one or more of the programs of public assistance administered by the Department of Health and Human Services under GS Chapter 108A (Social Services) or whose annual household income is lower than 300% of the federal poverty level guidelines published by the US Department of Health and Human Services. Makes conforming changes.

    Amends GS 19A-63(d) to require each county to provide notice of the opportunity (currently, reads to provide the opportunity) to participate in the program created by the statute, by electronic or other means (currently, no provision for the required means of the notice) to all local veterinarians providing services for small animals to the public (currently, does not specify veterinarians' services). Requires proof of the notice (currently, the provision) of this opportunity to be included in the first reimbursement request of each calendar year.

    Amends GS 19A-64 by modifying two of the four requirements for distributing funds when the total requests for reimbursement exceed the amounts available for distribution from the Spay/Neuter Account as follows: (1) provides that among the eligible counties and cities in development tier one areas, reimbursement must be made to each eligible county or city in the proportion that the total number of eligible spay and neuter procedures in that city or county compares to the total number of eligible reimbursement requests submitted from all cities and counties (was, in the proportion that the rate of spays and neuters per one thousand persons in that city or county compares to the total rate of spays and neuters per one thousand persons) within the total tier one area and (2) provides that among the eligible counties and cities in development tier two and three areas, reimbursement must be made to each eligible county or city in the proportion that the total number of eligible spay and neuter procedures in that city or county compares to the number of eligible reimbursement requests submitted from all cities and counties (was, in the proportion that the rate of spays and neuters per one thousand persons in that city or county compares to the number of eligible reimbursement requests submitted from all cites and counties) within the total tier two and three areas.

    Effective July 1, 2016.