Connecticut 2021 Regular Session

Connecticut Senate Bill SB00123 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

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7	7		General Assembly Committee Bill No. 123
8	8		January Session, 2021
9	9		LCO No. 2866
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12	12		Referred to Committee on PUBLIC SAFETY AND SECURITY
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14	14
15	15		Introduced by:
16	16		(PS)
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20	20		AN ACT INCREASING THE PENALTY FOR THE INTENTIONAL
21	21		INJURY OF A POLICE ANIMAL OR DOG IN A VOLUNTEER CANINE
22	22		SEARCH AND RESCUE TE AM.
23	23		Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
24	24		Assembly convened:
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26	26		Section 1. Section 53-247 of the general statutes is repealed and the 1
27	27		following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2021): 2
28	28		(a) Any person who (1) overdrives, drives when overloaded, 3
29	29		overworks, tortures, deprives of necessary sustenance, mutilates or 4
30	30		cruelly beats or kills or unjustifiably injures any animal, [or who,] (2) 5
31	31		having impounded or confined any animal, fails to give such animal 6
32	32		proper care or neglects to cage or restrain any such animal from doing 7
33	33		injury to itself or to another animal or fails to supply any such animal 8
34	34		with wholesome air, food and water, [or] (3) unjustifiably administers 9
35	35		any poisonous or noxious drug or substance to any domestic animal or 10
36	36		unjustifiably exposes any such drug or substance, with intent that the 11
37	37		same shall be taken by an animal, or causes it to be done, [or,] (4) having 12
38	38		charge or custody of any animal, inflicts cruelty upon it or fails to 13
39		-	provide it with proper food, drink or protection from the weather or 14 Committee Bill No. 123
	39	+	provide it with proper food, drink or protection from the weather or 14
	40	+	abandons it or carries it or causes it to be carried in a cruel manner, or 15
	41	+	Committee Bill No. 123
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46		-	abandons it or carries it or causes it to be carried in a cruel manner, or 15
47	46		(5) fights with or baits, harasses or worries any animal for the purpose 16
48	47		of making it perform for amusement, diversion or exhibition, shall, for 17
49	48		a first offense, be fined not more than one thousand dollars or 18
50	49		imprisoned not more than one year or both, and for each subsequent 19
51	50		offense, shall be guilty of a class D felony. 20
52	51		(b) Any person who maliciously and intentionally maims, mutilates, 21
53	52		tortures, wounds or kills an animal shall, (1) for a first offense, be guilty 22
54	53		of a class D felony, and (2) for any subsequent offense, be guilty of a 23
55	54		class C felony. The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to any 24
56	55		licensed veterinarian while following accepted standards of practice of 25
57	56		the profession or to any person while following approved methods of 26
58	57		slaughter under section 22-272a, while performing medical research as 27
59	58		an employee of, student in or person associated with any hospital, 28
60	59		educational institution or laboratory, while following generally 29
61	60		accepted agricultural practices or while lawfully engaged in the taking 30
62	61		of wildlife. 31
63	62		(c) Any person who knowingly (1) owns, possesses, keeps or trains 32
64	63		an animal engaged in an exhibition of fighting for amusement or gain, 33
65	64		(2) possesses, keeps or trains an animal with the intent that it be engaged 34
66	65		in an exhibition of fighting for amusement or gain, (3) permits an act 35
67	66		described in subdivision (1) or (2) of this subsection to take place on 36
68	67		premises under his control, (4) acts as judge or spectator at an exhibition 37
69	68		of animal fighting for amusement or gain, or (5) bets or wagers on the 38
70	69		outcome of an exhibition of animal fighting for amusement or gain, shall 39
71	70		be guilty of a class D felony. 40
72	71		(d) Any person who intentionally injures or kills any animal while 41
73	72		such animal is in the performance of its duties under the supervision of 42
74	73		a peace officer, as defined in section 53a-3, or intentionally injures or 43
75	74		kills a dog that is a member of a volunteer canine search and rescue 44
76	75		team, as defined in section 5-249, while such dog is in the performance 45
77	76		of its duties under the supervision of the active individual member of 46
78		-	such team, shall be guilty of a class [D] C felony. 47 Committee Bill No. 123
	77	+	such team, shall be guilty of a class [D] C felony. 47
	78	+	Committee Bill No. 123
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85	83		[(e) Any person who intentionally kills any animal while such animal 48
86	84		is in the performance of its duties under the supervision of a peace 49
87	85		officer, as defined in section 53a-3, or intentionally kills a dog that is a 50
88	86		member of a volunteer canine search and rescue team, as defined in 51
89	87		section 5-249, while such dog is in the performance of its duties under 52
90	88		the supervision of the active individual member of such team, shall be 53
91	89		fined not more than ten thousand dollars or imprisoned not more than 54
92	90		ten years, or both.] 55
93	91		This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
94	92		sections:
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96	94		Section 1 October 1, 2021 53-247
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98		-	PS Joint Favorable
	96	+	Statement of Purpose:
	97	+	To increase the penalty for intentionally injuring a police animal or dog
	98	+	in a volunteer canine search and rescue team.
	99	+	[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
	100	+	that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
	101	+	underlined.]
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	103	+	Co-Sponsors: SEN. BERTHEL, 32nd Dist.
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	105	+	S.B. 123
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99	107