HB 1201 — Identifying accommodations allowing pets in an emergency or extreme weather event.

ENGROSSEDH-0375.1 SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1201 State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session By House Technology, Economic Development, & Veterans (originally sponsored by Representatives Leavitt, Ryu, Macri, Bronoske, Simmons, and Berg)Berg READPrefiled FIRST01/08/25. TIME 01/31/25.

Read first time 01/13/25.

Referred to Committee on Technology, Economic Development, & Veterans.

The legislature further finds that pets that are companion animals are particularly vulnerable to extreme weather conditions, including risk of heatstroke-related illness and death.

The legislature further finds that many families consider their companionpets animals to be family members.

One of the most significant factors affecting evacuation decisions is companionpet animal ownership.

CompanionPet animal owners may refuse evacuation, attempt to reenter evacuated sites to rescue their companionpets, animals, and experience grief, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder due to separation from their companionpet animal during an emergency.

In addition, zoonotic disease risks increase when companionpets animals are abandoned or left to roam during an evacuation.

1 ESHBHB 1201 The legislature further finds that gaps in public preparedness and cosheltering opportunities during a disaster or extreme weather event increase the risk to public health and safety.

Therefore, the legislature intends to provide guidance in increasing public preparedness and identifying shelters that can accommodate companionpets animals so that in the event of a disaster or extreme weather event, Washington residents will not have to choose between seeking safety and staying with their companionpets. animals.

(1) A politicalcounty subdivision,or city, under existing plan structures, shall, to the extent practicable based on available resources and site-specific circumstances, addressconsider coshelteringemergency forshelters, emergencycooling shelterscenters, and warming centers able to accommodate persons with pets in each update of its local comprehensive emergency management plan required by RCW 38.52.070.

(2)(a) A politicallocal subdivision,comprehensive underemergency existingmanagement plan structures,must: shall, to the extent practicable based on available resources and site-specific circumstances, identify emergency shelters able to accommodate persons with companion animals.

(3)(i) WheneverIdentify aat politicalleast subdivisionone identifies any number of emergency sheltersshelter inwithin response to a naturalcounty disaster or extremecity's weatherjurisdiction, event, it should, to the extent practicable, identifythat atcan leastaccommodate onepersons coshelter.with pets;

(4)(ii) AnIdentify emergencyat shelterleast thatone iscooling identifiedcenter towithin accommodatea personscounty withor companioncity's animalsjurisdiction, mustto have safety procedures regarding the shelteringextent ofpracticable, companionthat animalscan andaccommodate complypersons with disasterpets; assistance policies and procedures published by the federal emergency management agency.

(5)and A(iii) politicalIdentify subdivisionat shallleast provideone companionheating animalcenter emergencywithin preparednessa informationcounty onor itscity's website,jurisdiction, including:to the extent practicable, that can accommodate persons with pets.

(a)(b) ToAn emergency shelter that is identified to accommodate persons with pets must have safety procedures regarding the extentsheltering practicable,of whetherpets eachand identifiedcomply emergencywith shelterdisaster canassistance accommodatepolicies companionand animals;procedures published by the federal emergency management agency.

(b)(2) InformationA forcounty creatingor acity companionshall animalprovide evacuationpet plan and emergency checklist,preparedness consistentinformation withon theits federalwebsite, emergencyincluding: management agency recommendations;

and(a) p.To the extent practicable, whether each designated emergency shelter, cooling center, or heating center can accommodate pets;

2p. ESHB 1201 (c) Identification of local organizations that provide emergency companion animal assistance.

(6)2 TheHB following1201 definitions(b) applyInformation tofor thiscreating section:a pet evacuation plan and emergency checklist, consistent with the federal emergency management agency recommendations;

(a)and "Companion(c) animal"Identification meansof alocal domesticatedorganizations animal, such as a dog or cat, that isprovide commonlyemergency keptpet inassistance. the home for pleasure rather than for commercial purposes;

(b)(3) "Coshelter"The meansfollowing adefinitions temporaryapply shelter that allows an individual to staythis insection: an adjacent area or the same facility as a companion animal;

(c)(a) "Emergency"Cooling shelter"center" means a temporaryfacility location that providesmitigates basicthe shelterpublic forhealth individualsimpacts affectedof byextreme anheat; emergency or disaster;

and(b) (d)"Emergency "Existingshelter" plan structure" means planninga documentstemporary describinglocation howthat politicalprovides subdivisions,basic in collaboration with nonprofit organizations, and state and federal government, will provide emergency shelter andfor temporary housing to individuals displacedaffected by aan disaster.emergency or disaster;

(c) "Pet" means a domesticated animal, such as a dog or cat, that is commonly kept in the home for pleasure rather than for commercial purposes;

and (d) "Warming center" means a facility that mitigates the public health impacts of extreme cold.

3 ESHBHB 1201