Subject: Please Author Shelter Transparency Legislation for 2026

Dear Assemblymember/Senator [Last Name],

I am writing to respectfully ask you to consider authoring or co-authoring the reintroduction of Shelter Transparency legislation, modeled on AB 631 (2025).

Last session, AB 631 passed the California Assembly unanimously, with 72 Assemblymembers voting yes and no opposition.  Despite this broad support, the bill stalled later in the process.  Given the worsening animal shelter crisis across California, I am deeply  concerned that this critical legislation has not yet been reintroduced.

California currently lacks a uniform, public system for reporting shelter intake and outcome data.  Without transparent, standardized reporting, policymakers and the  public cannot accurately assess shelter capacity, euthanasia rates, or  the effectiveness of prevention strategies.

A revised Shelter Transparency bill would:

• Require all publicly funded shelters to publish standardized monthly (quarterly) intake and outcome data

• Ensure public access to data for at least five years

• Focus accountability on government-funded shelters

• Establish a clear, workable framework for rescue data sharing without overburdening volunteer-run organizations

This is especially important because California has thousands of registered rescue organizations that rescue 20 % of the shelter population and divert thousands of  animals from entering the shelter system yearly. Their impact should be  visible in statewide data to inform effective policy decisions.

This  bill has already demonstrated unanimous support in 2025. What it needs  now is a legislative leader to champion transparency, accountability,  and data-driven solutions.

I respectfully urge you to author this bill. The bill concept has already been submitted to Legislative Counsel by Senator Stern, demonstrating real momentum.The deadline to secure an author is February 20, and your leadership could make a difference for animals and our community.

Thank you for your time and public service. I would appreciate knowing your position on this issue.

Sincerely,
[Your Full Name]
[City, ZIP Code]
[Phone or Email]