---
type: "Bill"
title: "Modifications to Sterilization Requirements for Cats & Dogs"
description: "The \"Pet Animal Care and Facilities Act\" prohibits any animal shelter or pet animal rescue (facility) from releasing a dog or cat to a prospective owner unless the animal has been sterilized, except in cases in which sterilization would jeopardize the life or health of the dog or cat. A facility in an area with limited access to licensed veterinarians may be granted an exemption from the sterilization requirement by the commissioner of agriculture (commissioner). The act:"
jurisdiction: "us/states/co"
legislature: "Colorado General Assembly"
session: "2024A"
identifier: "SB 24-045"
citation: "Colorado SB 24-045 (2024A)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Larry Liston", "Manny Rutinel", "Rick Taggart"]
version_count: 9
action_count: 14
vote_count: 4
first_action: "2024-01-12T07:00:00+00:00"
last_action: "2024-03-13T06:00:00+00:00"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/7be7300f-6f68-460c-a36a-3c0535833550"
source_url: "https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/sb24-045"
source_hash: "a44c739a3ea6876f8ea2c144fb44ef18d498f0023ae19661d80bcf506036133e"
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-co"]
---

# Colorado SB 24-045 (2024A) — Modifications to Sterilization Requirements for Cats & Dogs

The "Pet Animal Care and Facilities Act" prohibits any animal shelter or pet animal rescue (facility) from releasing a dog or cat to a prospective owner unless the animal has been sterilized, except in cases in which sterilization would jeopardize the life or health of the dog or cat. A facility in an area with limited access to licensed veterinarians may be granted an exemption from the sterilization requirement by the commissioner of agriculture (commissioner). The act:

## Version chain

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

1. **Committee Amendment** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/2024a_sb045_h_awn_001.pdf)
2. **Engrossed (02/06/2024)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2024A/bills/2024a_045_eng.pdf)
3. **Final Act (03/11/2024)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2024A/bills/2024a_045_enr.pdf)
4. **Introduced (01/12/2024)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2024A/bills/2024a_045_01.pdf)
5. **PA1 (02/27/2024)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2024A/bills/2024a_045_h_awn_01.pdf)
6. **Reengrossed (02/07/2024)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2024A/bills/2024a_045_rn2.pdf)
7. **Rerevised (02/29/2024)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2024A/bills/2024a_045_rer.pdf)
8. **Revised (02/28/2024)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2024A/bills/2024a_045_rev.pdf)
9. **Signed Act (03/13/2024)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/2024a_045_signed.pdf)

## Votes

- BILL — **56–7** (pass) · lower
- REPASS — **26–7** (pass) · upper
- CONCUR — **32–1** (pass) · upper
- AMEND — **30–3** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Larry Liston — primary (person)
- Manny Rutinel — primary (person)
- Rick Taggart — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2024-03-13T06:00:00+00:00** Governor Signed `executive-signature`
- **2024-03-12T06:00:00+00:00** Sent to the Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2024-03-11T06:00:00+00:00** Signed by the Speaker of the House
- **2024-03-11T06:00:00+00:00** Signed by the President of the Senate
- **2024-03-04T07:00:00+00:00** Senate Considered House Amendments - Result was to Concur - Repass
- **2024-03-01T07:00:00+00:00** Senate Considered House Amendments - Result was to Laid Over Daily
- **2024-02-29T07:00:00+00:00** House Third Reading Passed - No Amendments `passage, reading-3`
- **2024-02-28T07:00:00+00:00** House Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments - Committee
- **2024-02-26T07:00:00+00:00** House Committee on Agriculture, Water & Natural Resources Refer Amended to House Committee of the Whole `committee-passage, referral-committee`
- **2024-02-07T07:00:00+00:00** Introduced In House - Assigned to Agriculture, Water & Natural Resources `introduction`
- **2024-02-07T07:00:00+00:00** Senate Third Reading Passed - No Amendments `passage, reading-3`
- **2024-02-06T07:00:00+00:00** Senate Second Reading Passed - No Amendments `reading-2`
- **2024-02-01T07:00:00+00:00** Senate Committee on Agriculture & Natural Resources Refer Unamended - Consent Calendar to Senate Committee of the Whole `committee-passage`
- **2024-01-12T07:00:00+00:00** Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Agriculture & Natural Resources `introduction`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/7be7300f-6f68-460c-a36a-3c0535833550`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Colorado legislature records).