Boarding establishments; work group to consider whether to propose state license, etc.

Changed the bill type from Senate Substitute to Governor Substitute, reflecting a different legislative approval path.

Added formatting and page number elements typical of Governor Substitute documents.

Added 'private' to the comparison of animal shelter licensing requirements, expanding the scope of what the work group should consider.

Committee name changed from 'Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources' to 'Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources'.

New subsection B added to § 3.2-6555 clarifying that animal control officers may enter and inspect animal boarding establishments with owner consent or pursuant to a warrant, upon complaint, or twice annually on their own motion.

New § 3.2-6564 added regarding complaint investigation procedures, allowing animal control officers, law-enforcement officers, or State Veterinarian's representatives to enter business premises during business hours with consent to investigate suspected animal care violations.

Minor text corrections including adding 'provided that' in § 3.2-6555 and reformatting the bill header information.

The document structure was changed from a Reenrolled format to a House Substitute format, including updated headers and page numbering. The actual legislative text and policy provisions remain unchanged.

Removed provisions creating animal control officer positions and their enforcement powers in counties, cities, and towns.

Removed provisions for animal control officer training reporting to the State Veterinarian.

Added requirement for Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to convene a work group to study potential state licensing for animal boarding establishments.

Removed inspection requirements for commercial dog breeding locations and boarding establishments.

Removed complaint investigation procedures for animal control officers and humane investigators.

Removed search warrant procedures for suspected animal cruelty violations.

Work group report deadline set for December 1, 2026.

Study scope now includes comparison to current licensing requirements for public or private animal shelters.

Expanded animal control officer powers to conduct inspections of boarding establishments, commercial dog breeding locations, and other animal-related businesses with consent, complaint, or warrant.

Modified inspection procedures to allow animal control officers to enter premises with consent, complaint, or warrant, replacing the original State Veterinarian-only unannounced inspection mandate.

Added requirement for commercial dog breeding locations to undergo at least two annual inspections by animal control.

Established a work group to evaluate potential state licensing and regulatory requirements for animal boarding facilities.

Removed original standalone section 3.2-6519.1 and replaced with amendments to existing sections, with significant formatting changes typical of enrolled legislation.