Ferret smugglers beware. If House Bill 1292 passes, they could have difficulty weaseling out serious legal trouble. Known as the Ferret Protection Act, the measure would prohibit breeding, distributing, smuggling or aiding in the transportation of ferrets.The bill, submitted by Delegate Susan McComas of Hartford County, is just one of the many odd acts that have been dropped onto the House floor during this session of the General Assembly in Annapolis.
“I had heard that there were several unusual bills dropped this year,” Delegate Bennett Bozman said. “Usually in an election year they don’t do that. It seems this year they are doing it anyway.” At the end of last week, more than 500 bills had been introduced in the House, bringing this year’s total to 1,497. Delegates were required to have bills submitted by Feb. 10 to ensure a hearing during the current legislative session. Another bill that deals with animals is House Bill 1436, introduced by George Edwards of Garrett and Allegany counties. If passed, the bill would require the Secretary of Natural Resources to establish a black bear population in every Maryland county by Oct. 1, 2012. No one can say how black bears might affect the county’s supply of nuts and berries, roots and grubs, but one worry the bears would not have is being hunted via a remote. House Bill 968, submitted by Jane Lawton of Montgomery County, calls for a ban on computer-assisted remote hunting. The bill would make it illegal to possess any bird or mammal captured or killed with computer-assisted remotes. Eliminating the remote possibility would mean that hunters caught using robots to hunt would have their licenses revoked by the Department of Natural Resources. The bill makes no mention of fish or aquatic life, presumably to keep fish-finding sonar on boats legal. Lawmakers not only want to protect animals from being hunted by robots but also want to clarify a loophole that allows anyone other than animal owners to harm animals legally. House Bill 11, submitted by Murray Levy of Charles County, prohibits a person from inflicting unnecessary suffering or pain on animals. Currently, it is only illegal for pet owners or guardians to mistreat animals in Maryland. Switching from pets to petting, another bill up for consideration would seek to clarify the definition of what most people assume they already know. House Bill 361, submitted by Charles County Delegation, seeks to describe in some detail exactly what a sexual act is. One sexually related problem that has been sweeping the nation is “up-skirting” and House Bill 77, submitted by Neil Quinter of Howard County, seeks to stop it. Up-skirting is using a digital camera to take pictures up women’s skirts or down their blouses without them realizing and then posting the photos or video on the Internet. In the past year, several cases went to court in Maryland regarding up-skirting and it was discovered that there were no laws that allowed the case to be prosecuted. One bill dropped on the floor would shield fast food and other restaurants from lawsuits filed by people who eat too much. House Bill 28, the Common Sense Food Consumption Act submitted by John Arnick of Baltimore County, would prohibit a person who has gained significant weight from bringing civil action against a seller of food. The act implies that it should be common sense that eating seven Big Macs in one sitting would cause weight gain and damage a person’s health. If passed the bill passes, it would put the responsibility for overeating onto the shoulders — and elsewhere — of the consumers. |
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