SACRAMENTO – Assemblywoman Beth Gaines, R-Rocklin, today announced that her measure to help reduce backlog with Humane Society officers’ background checks has cleared the Assembly Public Safety Committee with a unanimous vote.

Assembly Bill 2194 amends state law so that already-required background checks can be performed on Humane Society officers.

“Humane officers play a key role in the health and safety of animals,” Gaines said. “These well-trained individuals can’t even do their job because of a minor technicality. My bill will ensure that the many pets that need help are treated with care and are not at risk of abuse.”

Legislation by Senator Dave Cox in 2010 made various changes to the appointments process for humane officers, including criminal background checks, which involves verifying FBI criminal histories that are obtained by the California Department of Justice.

Specific language required by the FBI was not included in the final version of the bill, creating a temporary backlog of criminal background checks for humane officers. Gaines’ bill includes the necessary information to fix current law.

Assembly Bill 2194 now heads to the Appropriations Committee for a vote.

Assemblywoman Beth Gaines represents the 4th Assembly District, which includes portions of Sacramento, Placer, El Dorado and Alpine Counties.