Senate Standing Committee on Judiciary

Welcome to the Judiciary Committee.

We have one Bill on a decision making only agenda. This is House Bill 698. This amends the criminal penalties for various animal cruelty offenses by increasing the category of offense. We put out a proposed SD1 which we heard last week. The SD1 limits the limits the Bill just to pet animals.

So the recommendation here is to go ahead and pass with some amendments that sharpens the focus on pet animals. So we'll proposing that we adopt the proposed SD1. But then in addition we'll make the following amendments.

We'll clarify that the prohibition against the person owning a pet animal for a minimum of five years from date of conviction for cruelty to animals in the second degree only applies to convictions involving pet animals. So the enhanced penalty doesn't apply if the cruelty to animals was a different was a non pet animal.

And we'd like to accept the AG's recommendation to put the increased penalties in separate subsections. So this is really just a giant tech. It keeps the substance the same but they like it broken out more. So that's fine.

And then we'll put the, we'll state the definition of pet animal in the preamble and we'll reinsert into the Bill amendments to HRS section 711-09.4 that increase the level of offenses for the second or subsequent offense for causing injury and death to a service animal because those service animals are not considered pets. But we would like.

I would like to include service animals or law enforcement animals and also state the definition of service animal in the preamble, which only includes dogs if I remember correctly. Yes, it's only dogs. And then we'll note in the cr in the Committee report the definition of pet animal explained.

It does not apply to chickens or roosters or to pigs raised for food. And we'll also talk about the definition of service animal. That is it's only dogs. That's it.

Questions or concerns, Senator Chang? Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. I really appreciate your efforts to tighten up the Bill and to really clarify the scope of the Bill. I still have some serious concerns after having consulted with some of my colleagues about the potential impact on the agricultural sector. And so I'll be voting with reservations today.

Okay, thank you.

Other comments or concerns? If not Senator Gabbard for the vote on HB698HD one recommendation is to pass the votes. Chair Rhoads, Senator Chang, reservations. Yes. Senator San Buenaventura is excused. Senator Awa. Measures adopted.

Great. Thanks very much. That concludes our business for the day.

Sa.