Animals: animal shelters: transparency.

A new Section 1 with legislative findings and declarations was added, stating the intent to require public and private animal control agencies and shelters to report specified data and to strongly encourage rescue groups to do the same.

A new subdivision (d) encourages rescue groups to comply with the data collection and public access requirements, stated as being for the purpose of developing a holistic picture of the pet overpopulation crisis.

The definition of 'animal shelter' was expanded from a simple cross-reference to Section 30503.5 into an explicit definition covering public or private animal control agencies or shelters, societies for the prevention of cruelty to animals shelters, and humane society shelters.

A new definition for 'rescue group' was added, meaning a for-profit or not-for-profit entity whose purpose includes the sale or placement of animals removed from shelters or previously owned by someone other than the original breeder.

The option for animal shelters to post required data on a third-party internet website (conspicuously linked from their own site) was removed. Shelters with websites must now post directly on their own website.

The voluntary downloadable spreadsheet format requirement now applies to both animal shelters and rescue groups with local contracts for animal care, rather than only animal shelters.

Update frequency was reduced from 'at least once per month, quarter' (ambiguous language) to 'at least once per quarter,' giving shelters less frequent reporting obligations.

The core obligation in subdivision (b) was expanded from requiring shelters to 'post' information to requiring them to 'collect and record' the information, broadening the scope of what shelters must do with the data.

A new exemption was added for animal shelters that do not have internet websites. These shelters are now only required to make the information publicly available upon request for at least 5 years, rather than being required to post it on a website or third-party site.

Redundant language 'the data information' in subdivision (d) was cleaned up to simply 'the information.'

Animal shelters must now update their posted data at least once per month AND once per quarter, rather than just once per month. This adds a quarterly reporting cadence to the existing monthly requirement.

Minor wording change in Section 32004(a): 'has the same meaning as specified in' was changed to 'has the same meaning as specified defined in' regarding the cross-reference to Section 30503.5.

Minor wording change in Section 32004(d): 'make the data available' was changed to 'make the data information available' in the provision encouraging downloadable spreadsheet formats.