§ 111-a. Microchipping standards. 1. The commissioner may adopt and promulgate rules and regulations that may provide for: standardization of technology used in microchips implanted in companion animals that are dogs or cats; and/or microchip readers so that such readers used by veterinarians, animal shelters, dog control officers, and animal control officers are capable of reading any chip to identify the animals and/or the owner of record; and/or the need for such veterinarians, animal shelters, dog control officers, and animal control officers to possess or have access to a microchip reader capable of reading any commercially available microchip implanted in a cat or dog. Such rules and regulations may also provide for the collection, sharing, and dissemination of chip identification information by entities that possess and manage such information solely to promote timely notification of owners when pets are lost while maintaining privacy protection of personal information and providing for disclosure to such owners of the sharing of such information.

* 2. The commissioner shall appoint an advisory committee which shall include, but shall not be limited to, representatives of the animal microchip industry and animal shelters who shall examine the issues described in subdivision one of this section and advise the commissioner on the need for such rules and regulations.

* NB Repealed December 18, 2019