---
type: "Bill"
title: "Local Government - Humane Society and Animal Control Officers - Education and Training Requirements"
description: "Local Government - Humane Society and Animal Control Officers - Education and Training Requirements"
jurisdiction: "us/states/md"
legislature: "Maryland General Assembly"
session: "2021"
identifier: "SB 159"
citation: "Maryland SB 159 (2021)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Bailey", "Carter", "Cassilly", "Hettleman", "Hough", "Jackson", "Lee", "Smith", "Sydnor", "Waldstreicher", "West"]
version_count: 4
action_count: 16
vote_count: 3
first_action: "2020-10-28"
last_action: "2021-05-18"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/9f30f568-ff97-4a3a-819a-7919e4b6fea6"
source_url: "http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/sb0159?ys=2021RS&search=True"
source_hash: "6a9c19d281d7081d0ba5fcc1d6b9d49ef471d9fe3c5940dd200759a0310386fe"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-md"]
---

# Maryland SB 159 (2021) — Local Government - Humane Society and Animal Control Officers - Education and Training Requirements

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Chapter - Local Government - Humane Society and Animal Control Officers - Education and Training Requirements** (committee substitute) — [source](http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2021RS/Chapters_noln/CH_227_sb0159e.pdf)
2. **Enrolled - Local Government - Humane Society and Animal Control Officers - Education and Training Requirements** (committee substitute) — [source](http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2021RS/bills/sb/sb0159e.pdf)
3. **First - Criminal Law - Humane Society and Animal Control Officers - Education and Training Requirements** (committee substitute) — [source](http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2021RS/bills/sb/sb0159f.pdf)
4. **Third - Criminal Law - Humane Society and Animal Control Officers - Education and Training Requirements** (committee substitute) — [source](http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2021RS/bills/sb/sb0159t.pdf)

## Votes

- On third reading — **46–0** (pass) · upper
- On Third Reading — **47–0** (pass) · upper
- On Third Reading (Amend) — **138–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Bailey — primary (person)
- Carter — primary (person)
- Cassilly — primary (person)
- Hettleman — primary (person)
- Hough — primary (person)
- Jackson — primary (person)
- Lee — primary (person)
- Smith — primary (person)
- Sydnor — primary (person)
- Waldstreicher — primary (person)
- West — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2020-10-28** Pre-filed `introduction`
- **2021-01-13** First Reading Judicial Proceedings `referral-committee`
- **2020-12-28** Hearing 1/20 at 11:00 a.m.
- **2021-01-29** Favorable with Amendments Report by Judicial Proceedings `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2021-01-29** Favorable with Amendments { `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2021-01-29** Second Reading Passed with Amendments
- **2021-02-03** Third Reading Passed `passage`
- **2021-02-05** Referred Environment and Transportation `referral-committee`
- **2021-04-06** Favorable with Amendments Report by Environment and Transportation `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2021-04-06** Favorable with Amendments { `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2021-04-06** Second Reading Passed with Amendments
- **2021-04-08** Third Reading Passed `passage`
- **2021-04-12** Senate Concurs House Amendments
- **2021-04-12** Third Reading Passed `passage`
- **2021-04-12** Passed Enrolled
- **2021-05-18** Approved by the Governor - Chapter 227 `executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/9f30f568-ff97-4a3a-819a-7919e4b6fea6`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Maryland legislature records).