Fur ban in California gets one step closer to becoming a reality

The idea of California becoming the first U.S. state to ban the sales and manufacturing of fur might just become a reality. According to California Apparel News, the bill for the fur ban, AB44 is on its way back to the desk of Gov. Gavin Newsom. If the governor signs AB44, the fur ban will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2023.

Cities in California including Los Angeles, West Hollywood, San Francisco, and Berkeley have already passed their own fur bans. However, there would need to be a statewide ban to make a general law on the issue in California.

AB44 would make it illegal to sell, display, or distribute a fur product. The bill would also make it illegal to manufacture any fur products in the state. This ban would apply to clothes, handbags, shoes, slippers, hats, and keychains that contain fur. However, there are still exemptions to the proposed bill. The ban will not regulate the sale of vintage furs, as well as any fur products used for religious ceremonies. Moreover, the ban would not regulate skins as leather or products such as shearling from domesticated animals.

If the bill gets passed, there would be penalties for those convicted of selling or manufacturing fur. For the first violation, there may be a 500 USD fine. For the second, there would be a 750 USD. Any subsequent violations would be 1,000 USD.