House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones, Jr. (R-North
Reading) has appointed State Representative David K. Muradian, Jr. (R-Grafton) to
a conference committee charged with reviewing two legislative proposals to
update the state’s animal cruelty laws.
An Act to protect animal welfare and safety in cities and
towns, also known as the PAWS Act II, was approved by the Senate on March 15,
with the House passing its own version of the bill on June 6. Both bills seek to expand on the state’s 2014
PAWS law by adding new requirements for reporting animal abuse and prohibiting
the drowning of animals.
Representative Muradian will serve on the conference
committee alongside Representatives Louis Kafka (D-Stoughton) and Jim O'Day (D-West
Boylston), and Senators Mark Montigny (D-New Bedford), Adam Hinds (D-Pittsfield),
and Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester). The
conference committee will attempt to reconcile the differences between the two
bills and reach an agreement on compromise language by the last day of formal
legislative sessions, which falls on July 31.
“Representative Muradian has served on a number of
conference committees and has proven that he can work with other legislators to
achieve a consensus,” said Representative Jones. “I am confident he will do everything he can
to help get a strong animal protection bill on the Governor’s desk before
session ends.”
Representative Muradian currently serves as a member of the
Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government, which reviewed an
earlier version of the PAWS Act II last fall and reported the bill out
favorably. He is also a member of the
Joint Committee on Elder Affairs, Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland
Security, and the House Committee on Ethics.
Representative Muradian represents the Ninth Worcester
District, which includes the communities of Grafton, Northbridge and Upton.
