California Circus Cruelty Prevention Act

California has a number of formal acts in statute. Fish and Game Code Division 3, Chapter 2, Article 5 provides the Circus Cruelty Prevention Act, which is contained in Sections 2207 to 2210. Article 5 was added in 2019 by Chapter 768. Section 2207 names the Act. Section 2208 defines the term “circus.”

Section 2209 prohibits a person from sponsoring, conducting, or operating a circus in this state that uses any animal other than a domestic dog, domestic cat, or domesticated horse. In addition, a person is prohibited from exhibiting or using any animal other than a domestic dog, domestic cat, or domesticated horse in a circus in this state.

Section 2210 provides that a person who violates this article, or any rule or regulation adopted pursuant to this article, is liable for a civil penalty of no more than $25,000 for each day the person is in violation. Any action may be brought by the Attorney General, the department, the Department of Food and Agriculture, a district attorney, a city attorney, or a city prosecutor in a city or city and county that has a full-time city prosecutor. Civil penalties are required to be deposited to different funds.