California is once again taking steps to limit the influx of dogs from out-of-state puppy mills with a package of laws that take effect in the new year.

AB 519, authored by Assemblymember Marc Berman, D-Menlo Park, prohibits both in-person and online pet brokers from selling dogs, cats or rabbits under a year old.

“The goal is that this will … funnel Californians into the legitimate avenues for either purchasing or rescuing an animal, and it’ll make it harder for bad people to do bad things,” Berman said.

The bill defines a broker as a person or business that sells, processes or transports a pet bred by someone else for profit. It carves out exceptions for shelters, rescues and educational nonprofits teaching kids to care for animals. Service animals and those involved with government agencies, like police dogs, are also exempt.

In addition to the pet broker ban, the “Stop The Puppy Mill Pipeline” legislative package includes two other bills that aim to protect consumers from deceptive third-party pet sellers. The laws are part of a slate of statewide animal protections that will go into effect on Jan. 1, including a ban on declawing cats.

AB 506 by Assemblymember Steve Bennett, D-Ventura, voids any pet contracts that include a nonrefundable deposit or fail to disclose the pet’s medical information and breeder origin. If a contract is voided, the purchaser is entitled to a refund and is not required to return the pet.

SB 312 by state Sen. Tom Umberg, D-Santa Ana, requires dog importers to send health certificates to the buyer and the California Department of Food and Agriculture at least 10 days before the dog enters the state. The CDFA must keep these records for five years and make them publicly available.

Lawmakers introduced these bills to close loopholes that emerged after California’s initial effort to shut down the puppy mill pipeline.

Read more here: LAist