Great news!
On Thursday, September 26, 2024, Senate Bill 1233 (SB 1233)—a critical piece of animal welfare legislation supported by the SF SPCA—was officially signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom.
The bill, authored by Senator Scott Wilk (R-Santa Clarita), authorizes the Western University of Health Sciences veterinary medical school to develop a high-quality, high-volume spay and neuter certification program. The creation of this certification program can significantly expand pet owners’ access to low and no-cost spay-neuter services.
The SF SPCA was proud to support this bill, which builds on similar efforts backed by our organization in last year’s legislative cycle. Those include the passage of Assembly Bill 1399, which authorizes the use of veterinary telemedicine practice in California, and Senate Bill 669, which allows authorized Registered Veterinary Technicians (RVTs) to administer vital vaccines and medications in California. All these initiatives are critical to addressing the access-to-care challenges that have reached crisis levels in California.
As a result of the Governor’s signature, SB 1233 will take effect on January 1, 2025. We are grateful for the leadership of Governor Newsom, State Senator Wilk and all the other lawmakers who supported this critical bill.