H 7334Agriculture

Animals and Animal Husbandry - Psittacine Birds

This bill bans pet stores from selling parrots and prohibits the sale of birds in public places like parking lots.

Held for study

Population
Affected

Introduced Jan 28, 2026Committee House Corporations

Plain-English Summary

This bill prohibits pet stores in Rhode Island from selling parrots sourced from breeders or brokers. Instead, pet stores are only permitted to host adoption events for parrots provided by animal care facilities or rescue organizations. The legislation grants pet stores a one-year grace period to sell existing parrot inventory but bans acquiring new stock for sale. It also prohibits selling birds in public spaces like parking lots and roadsides. Furthermore, the bill mandates that breeders disclose specific information to buyers and voids contracts that require non-refundable deposits without proper transparency.

For younger readers

This new rule changes how pet stores can handle parrots. Pet stores will no longer be allowed to sell parrots that they bought from breeders to make money. Instead, they can only help find homes for parrots that need to be adopted from shelters or rescue groups. Also, people won't be allowed to sell birds in parking lots or on the side of the road anymore. If a store breaks these rules, they will have to pay a fine. The goal is to make sure parrots are treated kindly and come from safe places.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups

Pet store ownersParrot breedersAnimal rescue organizationsPet store employeesBird purchasers

Impacted communities

All

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

Low risk

Low Risk. The bill regulates commercial sales and contract terms, which falls within the state's police power to protect public welfare and prevent fraud. While voiding private contracts (specifically regarding deposits) touches on the Contract Clause, courts generally uphold such measures when they serve a significant public purpose like consumer protection. The restrictions on sales in public places are likely reasonable time, place, and manner restrictions.

Estimated cost

None

Estimated revenue

$1,000/unlawful sale, $1,500/unlawful acquisition by pet store

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints

For Progressives

Promotes animal welfare by cutting off the retail pipeline for commercial breeders and "bird mills," encouraging the adoption of animals from shelters and rescues instead.
Protects consumers from predatory practices by mandating transparency regarding the source of the animal and banning non-refundable deposits in opaque contracts.
Empowers local non-profit organizations by formally involving groups like Foster Parrots, Ltd. and Rhode Island Parrot Rescue in the implementation and advisory process.
May negatively impact small, independent pet store owners and their employees by removing a source of revenue, potentially leading to wage cuts or job losses.
The fines ($1,000 to $1,500) may be viewed as a "cost of doing business" for larger, unethical operators rather than a strict enough deterrent to stop the practice entirely.
Does not ban the breeding of parrots entirely, potentially just pushing the market toward direct-to-consumer online sales where regulation and oversight are more difficult to enforce.

For Conservatives

Protects consumers and upholds contract integrity by ensuring buyers receive full disclosure about what they are purchasing and preventing fraudulent non-refundable deposit schemes.
Includes specific carve-outs for agricultural uses and 4-H programs, ensuring that traditional farming and educational activities are not burdened by these regulations.
Prohibits roadside and parking lot sales, which helps maintain public order and prevents unregulated, fly-by-night commerce in community spaces.
Infringes on the free market and the rights of business owners to sell legal products, dictating exactly how private entities must operate their inventory.
Interferes with private contract law by declaring specific terms (like non-refundable deposits) void, which is a significant overreach of government power into private agreements.
Creates a government-sanctioned advisory committee involving specific private non-profits, expanding bureaucracy and giving unelected groups influence over business compliance.

Votes

Loading votes...

Full Bill Text

Changes to existing Rhode Island law · 80 additions

SECTION 1. Chapter 4-11 of the General Laws entitled "Psittacine Birds" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section: 4-11-14. Parrot sale restrictions.

(a) Definitions. As used in this section, the following terms shall have the following meanings:

(1) “Agricultural use” means the husbandry of birds such as domestic poultry raised as livestock for personal or commercial use. Parrots serve no agricultural purposes and are excluded from agricultural use under the terms of this definition.

(2) “Animal care facility” means an animal control center, shelter or impoundment facility maintained by or under contract with any state, county, or municipality, whose mission or practice is to protect the welfare of animals and find placement for them in permanent homes or animal rescue organizations.

(3) “Animal rescue organization” means a not-for-profit organization whose mission and practice is the rescue and placement of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, or fish into permanent homes. Organizations that procure animals from breeders or brokers in exchange for payment or compensation do not qualify as animal rescue organizations.

(4) “Breeder” means an individual or entity who breeds animals upon their residential or commercial premises for sale to individuals, brokers, or pet stores either in person or online.

(5) “Broker” means a person or entity who transfers birds, mammals, amphibians, reptiles or fish at wholesale for resale to another.

(6) “Parrots” means any of the numerous widely distributed tropical birds belonging to the order psittaciformes.

(7) “Pet store” means a retail establishment where animals are sold, exchanged, bartered, or offered for sale to the general public for profit or commercial purposes. "Pet store" shall not include an animal care facility, animal rescue organization, or breeder as defined in this subsection.

(b) Prohibition of the sale of parrots at pet stores.

(1) It shall be unlawful for a pet store to sell or offer for sale a parrot procured from a breeder or broker.

(2) A pet store may host adoption events wherein parrots are offered for permanent placement into homes provided that:

(i) The parrots offered for placement are sourced from animal care facilities or animal rescue organizations.

(ii) The name of the animal care facility or rescue organization is clearly displayed next to the enclosures of the parrots for the duration of the adoption event.

(3) Pet stores shall have a one year grace period to sell parrots already in their possession on the effective date of this section, but are prohibited from acquiring any additional parrots for sale from breeders or brokers after the effective date of this section.

(1) It shall be unlawful for any person to offer for sale, sell, exchange, or barter any bird on any roadside, park, other recreation area, outdoor market, or commercial or retail parking lot, even if access is authorized by the property owner.

(2) This section shall not apply to the following:

(i) The display of birds as part of a state or county fair exhibition.

(ii) A bird sold or displayed for agricultural use.

(iii) The display of birds as part of a 4-H program or educational program; provided, however, parrots are not to be sold or advertised for sale at these events.

(d) Requirements for sale to individuals.

(1) A person, pet dealer, breeder, or business that sells birds that are not classified as agricultural to a purchaser located in Rhode Island either in person or online, shall provide a written notice to the purchaser or recipient of the bird that states all of the following:

(i) The breeder, including the city and state where the breeder is located;

(ii) If applicable, the United States Department of Agriculture license number associated with the breeder;

(iii) If birds are obtained through a broker, it shall be clearly conveyed to the purchaser that the seller is not the breeder. Broker information shall be included in the contract.

(2) A contract entered into or on after January 1, 2027, to transfer ownership of a bird to a purchaser located in Rhode Island is considered void if the broker, pet dealer, breeder, or business requires a nonrefundable deposit or does not provide to the purchaser the required information listed in this subsection.

(i) If money is exchanged through a contract that is void pursuant to this subsection, the seller will refund the money to the purchaser within thirty (30) days of receiving notice that the contract is void.

(ii) A person, pet dealer, or business who offers a contract that contains a term that violates this subsection may be sued in any court of competent jurisdiction for the recovery of money exchanged pursuant to that contract and other remedies the court deems appropriate.

(e) Violation -- Penalties. Any pet store, breeder, or broker who sells a bird in violation of this section shall be fined one thousand dollars ($1,000). Each unlawful sale or offer for sale shall constitute a separate violation. If a pet store acquires more birds during the one year grace period from a broker or breeder, a fine of one thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500) shall be assessed for each violation.

(f) Implementation. An advisory committee consisting of representatives from Foster Parrots, Ltd. and Rhode Island Parrot Rescue shall be available to assist pet stores as they work to comply with subsection

(b) of this section. Pet stores are not required to utilize the advisory committee, but it is encouraged. At the end of the grace period, the advisory committee shall confirm that parrots are no longer being sold at any pet stores. The committee shall remain in effect for eighteen (18) months after the effective date of this section and shall issue an implementation status report at the end of its term.

(g) Severability. The invalidity of any subsection or provisions of this section shall not invalidate any other subsection or provision and the application of those subsections or provisions shall not be affected and shall remain in full force and effect.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.