Mass. Animal Scorecard

  • Home
  • The Scorecard
    • The Scorecard 2025-2026
    • The Scorecard 2023-2024
    • The Scorecard 2021-2022
    • The Scorecard 2019-2020
    • The Scorecard 2017-2018
    • The Scorecard 2015-2016
    • The Scorecard 2013-2014 (and older votes)

Mass. Legislative Scorecard 2015-2016 to date (Sponsorship of bills)

Legislators can co-sponsor new legislation at the beginning of the session. This spreadsheet is meant to assist you in learning a bit about your state legislators, through their sponsorship or co-sponsorship on select animal-related bills this year. We will add votes and other detail once more actions occur in the  legislature. The information should be helpful; however, it does have limitations. It doesn’t reflect past actions a legislator may have taken to help or harm animals. It use one measurement — sponsor/co-sponsorship — which won’t give a clear indication on where a  legislator stands on many issues. We also were unable to include every helpful or harmful animal-related bill. Therefore, as  always, we encourage you to meet with your legislators (in either the State House or district office), write to them, and ask about positions on specific animal issues. If your legislators have been supportive of animal issues, please take a few minutes to thank them.

KEY:

+ co-sponsored a bill for the animals
++ sponsored a bill for the animals

–   co-sponsored a bill against the animals
– – sponsored a bill against the animals

n/a not applicable (the legislator was not in office when bills were able to be co-sponsored)

blank the legislator did not cosponsor

 
   
Animal Cruelty/Seizures
Ivory/Rhino Horn Trafficking
Puppies/Kittens, Petshops
Farm Animal Confinement
Animal Abandonment
Dog Tethering/Enforcement
Animals/Hot Cars
Elephants/Bullhooks
Dogs/Insurance
Sunday Hunting
Trapping
Animal Cruelty/Care
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Rep. J. Arciero  +  + +   +  +  +  +          +
Rep. B. Ashe +  +  +   +  +    + +        +
Rep. C. Atkins  +  +  +        +          
Rep. B. Ayers              +         +
Rep. R. Balser    + +  +  +  +    +  +      +
Rep. C. Barber            +      +      
Rep. F. Barrows                        
Rep. J. Benson  + +       +    +          +
Rep. D.Berthiaume                        
Rep. N. Boldyga   +                     
Rep. G. Bradley     ++                   
Rep. M. Brady  +  +    +  +    +  +        +
Rep. P. Brodeur  + +     +  +  + +   +        +
Rep. A. Cabral                        
Rep. T. Calter, III  +  +  +  +  +    +          +
Rep. K.Campanale                        
Rep. L. Campbell ++                      
Rep. J. Cantwell  +    +  +      +  +        
Rep. G. Cariddi  +  +  +  +  +    +          +
Rep. E. Carvalho                        
Rep. T. Chan    +      +              
Rep. L. Cole  +                      
Rep. N. Collins                        
Rep. E. Coppinger    +                    
Rep. B. Crighton          +              
Rep. C. Cronin                        
Rep. D. Cullinane  +        +    +         + 
Rep. M. Cusack +   + +     +  + +    +       +
Rep. J. Cutler  + +  +     +     +   +     + 
Rep. A. D’Emilia  +  +  +  +  +  +  +   +       +
Rep. M. Day   +          +           
Rep. M. Decker  + +   +  +  +  +  +  + +       +
Rep. D. DeCoste                        +
Rep. R. DeLeo                        
Rep. B. Dempsey                        
Rep. M. Devers        +  +  +            
Rep. G. Diehl                        
Rep. S. DiNatale  +      +  + +   +          +
Rep. D. DiZoglio  +  +  +    +  +  +    +      +
Rep. D. Donahue  +                      
Rep. P. Donato    +                    
Rep. S. Dooley                        
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Rep. M. Dubois  + +   +  +  + +  +   +  +      +
Rep. P. Durant                        
Rep. J. Dwyer  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +      +
Rep. C. Dykema  +  +  +    +  +  +  +  +      +
Rep. L. Ehrlich   ++   + +  +   + ++  ++         +
Rep. T. Farley-Bouvier    +                    
Rep. R. Fennell    +                    
Rep. K. Ferguson     +         +          
Rep. J. Fernandes                        
Rep. A. Ferrante +  +  +     +   +           
Rep. M. Finn                        
Rep. C. Fiola  +        +  +  +          +
Rep. G. Fox                        
Rep. P. Frost                        
Rep. W. Galvin +  +   +    +  +  +  +        +
Rep. S. Garballey  + +  +   +  +  +  +          +
Rep. D. Garlick   +       +    +          
Rep. C. Garry +  +   +    + +   + +  +       +
Rep. C. Gentile                        
Rep. S. Gifford +         +    +   +       +
Rep. T. Golden, Jr.   +       +              
Rep. C. Gonzalez   +       +  +    +        
Rep. K. Gordon    +  +     +  +           
Rep. D. Gregoire    +      +        +      
Rep. P. Haddad                        
Rep. S. Harrington                        
Rep. J. Hecht  + +     +  +  +  +  +        +
Rep. P. Heroux  + +  +  +   +  +  + +         +
Rep. B. Hill                        
Rep. K. Hogan  + +      +    +          +
Rep. R. Holmes                        
Rep. S. Howitt                        
Rep. K. Honan  +  +  +    +  +            +
Rep. D. Hunt  +  +        +            
Rep. R. Hunt                        
Rep. B. Jones, Jr.   +                     
Rep. L. Kafka   +  +         +    +      ++
Rep. H. Kane n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
Rep. J. Kaufman                        
Rep. M. Keefe                        
Rep. J. Kelcourse                        
Rep. K. Khan  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +        +
Rep. P. Kocot  + +   +    + +  +     +      +
Rep. R. Koczera                        
Rep. S. Kulik                        
Rep. K. Kuros    +      +              
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Rep. J. Lawn +   +  +    + +   +    +      +
Rep. Whipps Lee                        
Rep. D. Linsky    + +     +    +    +      
Rep. J. Livingstone  +  +    +  + +  +   

+

     +
Rep. M. Lombardo                        
Rep. J. Lyons                        
Rep. T. Madden +    +   +  +    +    +      +
Rep. A. Madaro n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
Rep. J. Mahoney                        
Rep. L. Malia   +   +                  
Rep. B. Mannal   +     +  +  +   ++         
Rep. R. Mariano                        
Rep. P. Mark    +      +              
Rep. C. Markey                        
Rep. J. McGonagle  +    +       +           +
Rep. J. McKenna  + +     +                
Rep. P. McMurtry  +  +  +  +  +  +  +          +
Rep. J. Miceli +  +   +    + +             
Rep. A. Michlewitz  +    +    +  +  +          +
Rep. L. Mirra    +

+ 

 +       +        
Rep. R. Mom                        
Rep. F. Moran  + +     + +   +  +  +        +
Rep. M. Moran                        
Rep. D. Muradian                        
Rep. M. Muratore                +        
Rep. J. Murphy  + +      +  +  +          +
Rep. D. Nangle                        
Rep. H. Naughton  +  +          +          +
Rep. S. O’Connell  + +                     
Rep. J. O’Day                        
Rep. K. Orrall  +        +              
Rep. J. Parisella          +              
Rep. S. Peake   +                     
Rep. A. Peisch    +    +  +  +  +  +        
Rep. T. Petrolati    +  +  +                
Rep. W. Pignatelli  +  +  +  +  +  +  +    +      +
Rep. E. Poirier                        
Rep. D. Provost   +  +   +  + +    +         
Rep. A. Puppolo  +    +    +  + +     +      +
Rep. D. Rogers

 +

 +    ++  ++ ++   +  +        +
Rep. J. Rogers   +         +            
Rep. D. Rosa          + +      +       
Rep. J. Roy     +     +              +
Rep. B. Rushing   +                     +
Rep. D. Ryan  +  +  +  +  +    +  +        
Rep. J. Sanchez                +        
Rep. T. Sannicandro  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +      +
Rep. A. Scaccia                        
Rep. P. Schmid                        
Rep. J. Scibak  + +       +    +    +     + 
Rep. A. Silvia  +       +     +          +
Rep. F. Smizik   +       +              
Rep. T. Smola   +       +              
Rep. T. Speliotis  +        +  +  +          +
Rep. T. Stanley  +  +  +  +  +    +  +        +
Rep. E. Story        +                
Rep. W. Straus                        
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Rep. B. Swan   +     +  +  +    +        
Rep. W. Timilty  +  +  +    +  + +   +        +
Rep. T. Toomey   +  +   +  +  +  +  +        
Rep. J. Tosado                        
Rep. P. Tucker +  +   +    + +   +          +
Rep. S. Ultrino          +              
Rep. A. Vega   +       +              
Rep. J. Velis    +  +                  
Rep. D. Vieira                        
Rep. R. Vincent  +                      +
Rep. J. Wagner                        
Rep. C. Walsh   +     +  +  +  +          
Rep. T.Whelan                        
Rep. D. Wong                        
Rep. J. Zlotnik +                +       
  SENATE                        
Sen. M. Barrett    +    +   +             
Sen. W. Brownsberger  +  + +   +  +  +  +  +  +      +
Sen. H. Chandler                        
Sen. S. Chang-Diaz        +                
Sen. C. Creem   +  +   +                
Sen. V. deMacedo                    –    
Sen. S. DiDomenico  + +   +  +  +    +          
Sen. K. Donnelly    +  +                  
Sen. E. Donoghue                        
Sen. L. Forry     +   +  +              +
Sen. B. Downing                      –  
Sen. J. Eldridge  +  +  +  +  ++    +  + +   –    
Sen R. Fattman                        
Sen. J. Flanagan                        
Sen. A. Gobi  + +       +      ++  +  – –  – –  +
Sen. R. Hedlund    +  +  +  +  +  + ++   + –    
Sen. D. Humason                    – –    
Sen. P. Jehlen    + +   +   ++             
Sen. B. Joyce   +           +          
Sen. J. Keenan     +   +    +            
Sen. T. Kennedy    +  +  +  +              
Sen. E. Lesser                        
Sen. B. L’italien    + +    +    +          
Sen. J. Lewis +  ++  +   ++  + +  +  +  +       +
Sen. J. Lovely +  +   +  +  +    +  +        +
Sen. T. McGee     +   +  +              
Sen. M. Montigny  +    +  +  +  +  ++  +        
Sen. M. Moore  +  +  +    + +   +    +    –  +
Sen. K. Ives +   +      +    +  +        
Sen. M. Pacheco  + +  +     +    +    +  –    +
Sen. A. Petruccelli                        
Sen. M. Rodrigues                        
Sen. S. Rosenberg                        
Sen. R. Ross  +    +  +    +  +          
Sen. M. Rush                        
Sen. K. Spilka      ++                  
Sen. B. Tarr  +  + +     +  +  +  +        +
Sen. J. Timilty                        +
Sen. J. Welch                       + 
Sen. D. Wolf                        

EXPLANATION OF SCORECARD ACTIONS

EXPLANATION OF CO-SPONSORSHIP OF BILLS

Legislators can co-sponsor new legislation at the beginning of the session. If a bill is late-filed, they can also co-sponsor a bill at the time it is filed. The bills below were filed during the 2015-2016 session.

1. Cruelty/animal seizures (H. 1220)
This bill would make changes to the statute relating to the seizure of animals in connection with cruelty investigations, helping to ensure animals are not twice victimized by being held for long periods of time while the related cruelty case is pending. Sponsor: Rep. Campbell

2. Ivory/Rhino Horn (S. 440, H. 1275)
This bill will clamp down on illegal ivory and rhino horn sales by prohibiting the sale, trade and distribution of these products within our state. It will ensure the Commonwealth doesn’t play a role in the unprecedented global poaching crisis by prohibiting the trade in ivory and rhino horn. Elephants are being killed at an unsustainable rate; 35,000 African elephants were slaughtered in 2012 alone to satisfy the ivory market – an average of 96 per day. Sponsors: Senator Lewis, Rep. Ehrlich

3. Puppy and kitten protection (S. 1103, H. 1826)
These bills would prevent the sale of dog or cat less than 8 weeks of age, provide a remedy for the sale of sick dogs and cats and regulate breeders (who keep 6 or more intact female dogs). Sponsors: Senator Spilka, Rep. Bradley

4. Farm animal confinement (S. 439, H. 1555)
Two bills were filed to prohibit the confinement of farm animals in a manner that does not allow them to turn around freely, lie down, stand up, and fully extend their limbs. Sponsors: Senator Lewis, Rep. David Rogers

5. Animal abandonment (S. 1072, H. 1865 – changed to S. 2174 in 2016)
This bill would require owners of rented properties to check them for abandoned animals within 3 days after tenants move out; if abandoned animals are found, owners must report to the animal control officer or other authorities. Sponsors: Senator Eldridge, Rep. David Rogers

6. Enforcement of dog laws (S. 1085, H. 1866)
This bill would allow MSPCA and Animal Rescue League of Boston law enforcement officers to enforce the provisions in the new Ch.140 sec 174E to be able to better protect dogs from cruel outdoor conditions. Sponsors: Senator Jehlen, Rep. David Rogers

7. Animal safety in  cars (S. 878, H. 1273)
This bill would give animal control officers, law enforcement officers and fire fighters specific authority to remove an animal, and cite the owner, when the conditions in a car are expected to threaten the health of the animal due to extreme heat or cold. Sponsors: Senator Montigny, Rep. Ehrlich

8. Banning the use of the bullhook on traveling Elephants (S. 1801, H. 1274, H. 1477)
This bill would prohibit any person who houses, possesses or travels with elephants utilized in traveling shows from using any implement that would result in physical harm (such as a bullhook) or from keeping the elephants constantly restrained by chain or similar device. Sponsors: Senator Hedlund, Rep. Ehrlich, Rep. Mannal

9. Dogs/Homeowners (S. 501)
This bill would prevent insurance companies from denying or cancelling homeowners insurance based on the breed of dog owned. Sponsor: Senator Gobi

10. Sunday hunting (S. 415, H. 1573, H. 672, H. 762, S. 424, S. 429, H. 3236, H. 3239)
Several bills were filed to allow hunting on Sundays or on some Sundays. A legislator receiving an “–” signed on to one or more of these bills.

11. Trapping (S. 409, H. 709, H. 722, H. 673, S. 421, H. 730)
Several bills were filed to remove some or all of the restrictions on body-gripping traps for animals. A legislator receiving an “–” signed on to one or more of these bills.

12.  Animal cruelty clarifications (H. 1848)
This bill will clarify the existing animal cruelty law to give specific express notice to animal owners and possessors that they have an obligation to provide their animals with veterinary care that is necessary to prevent or relieve their animals’ suffering. Sponsor: Rep. Kafka

 

Copyright © 2023 · Massachusetts Legislative Scorecard on Animal Issues · All Rights Reserved.