A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to provide for funding for the statewide spay and neuter program from the sale of rabies vaccination tags.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  G.S. 19A‑62(a) reads as rewritten:
"(a)	Creation. – The Spay/Neuter Account is established as a nonreverting special revenue account in the Department of Health and Human Services. The Account consists of the following:
(1)	Fifty cents (50¢) of the  fees imposed by G.S. 130A‑190(b1) on the costs of obtaining rabies vaccination tags from the Department of Health and Human Services.
(2)	Ten dollars ($10.00) of the additional fee imposed by G.S. 20‑79.7 for an Animal Lovers special license plate.
(3)	Any other funds available from appropriations by the General Assembly or from contributions and grants from public or private sources."
SECTION 2.  G.S. 130A‑190 reads as rewritten:
"§ 130A‑190.  Rabies vaccination tags.
(a)	A licensed veterinarian or a certified rabies vaccinator who administers rabies vaccine to a dog or cat shall issue a rabies vaccination tag to the owner of the animal. The rabies vaccination tag shall show the year issued, a vaccination number, the words "North Carolina" or the initials "N.C." and the words "rabies vaccine." Dogs and cats shall wear rabies vaccination tags at all times. However, cats may be exempted from wearing the tags by local ordinance.
(b)	Rabies vaccination tags, links and rivets may be obtained from the Department. The Secretary is authorized to establish by rule a fee for the rabies tags, links and rivets. Except as otherwise authorized in this section, the fee shall not exceed the actual cost of the rabies tags, links and rivets, plus transportation costs. In addition to the amount provided for in subsection (b1) of this section, the Secretary may increase the fee beyond the actual cost plus transportation, by an amount not to exceed five cents ($.05) per tag, to fund rabies education and prevention programs.
(b1)	In setting the fee under subsection (b) of this section, the Secretary shall provide for an amount beyond the actual cost plus transportation, of not less than fifty cents ($.50) per tag, to fund the statewide Spay/Neuter Program established in Article 5 of Chapter 19A of the General Statutes. The additional fifty cents ($.50) shall be credited to the Spay/Neuter Account established in G.S. 19A‑62. This subsection does not apply to tags provided to persons who own five or more dogs and has registered with the Animal Welfare Section of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services as a registered dog breeder.
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SECTION 3.  This act becomes effective January 1, 2008.