Utah 2025 Regular Session

Utah Senate Bill SB0077 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1		-	Enrolled Copy S.B. 77
	1	+	01-23 11:16 1st Sub. (Green) S.B. 77
	2	+	Jen Plumb proposes the following substitute bill:
2	3		1
3	4		Public Safety Animal Amendments
4	5		2025 GENERAL SESSION
5	6		STATE OF UTAH
6	7		Chief Sponsor: Jen Plumb
7		-	House Sponsor: Jefferson S. Burton
8	8		2
9	9
10	10		3
11	11		LONG TITLE
12	12		4
13	13		General Description:
14	14		5
15	15		This bill amends provisions relating to public safety animals.
16	16		6
17	17		Highlighted Provisions:
18	18		7
19	19		This bill:
20	20		8
21	21		▸ defines terms;
22	22		9
23	23		▸ expands and clarifies criminal provisions relating to police service canines to include
24	24		10
25	25		other animals used by public safety organizations to assist with duties related to public
26	26		11
27	27		safety; and
28	28		12
29	29		▸ adds a coordination clause to merge the changes to Section 76-9-306 in this bill, if this
30	30		13
31	31		bill and H.B. 21, Criminal Code Recodification and Cross References, both pass and
32	32		14
33	33		become law, due to Section 76-9-306 being renumbered and split into two separate
34	34		15
35	35		sections in H.B. 21.
36	36		16
37	37		Money Appropriated in this Bill:
38	38		17
39	39		None
40	40		18
41	41		Other Special Clauses:
42	42		19
43	43		This bill provides a coordination clause.
44	44		20
45	45		Utah Code Sections Affected:
46	46		21
47	47		AMENDS:
48	48		22
49	49		76-9-306, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2018, Chapter 264
50	50		23
51	51		Utah Code Sections affected by Coordination Clause:
52	52		24
53	53		76-9-306, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2018, Chapter 264
54	54		25
55	55
56	56		26
57	57		Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
58	58		27
59	59		The following section is affected by a coordination clause at the end of this bill.
60	60		28
61		-	Section 1. Section 76-9-306 is amended to read: ~~S.B. 77 Enrolled Copy~~
	61	+	Section 1. Section 76-9-306 is amended to read:
62	62		29
63	63		76-9-306 . Public safety animals -- Causing injury, death, or interference --
64	64		30
65		-	Penalties.
	65	+	Penalties. 1st Sub. (Green) S.B. 77 01-23 11:16
66	66		31
67	67		(1) As used in this section:
68	68		32
69	69		[(a) "Handler" means a law enforcement officer who is specially trained, and uses a
70	70		33
71	71		police service canine during the course of the performance of his law enforcement
72	72		34
73	73		duties.]
74	74		35
75	75		[(b) "Police service canine" means any dog used by a law enforcement agency, which is
76	76		36
77	77		specially trained for law enforcement work, or any animal contracted to assist a law
78	78		37
79	79		enforcement agency in the performance of law enforcement duties.]
80	80		38
81	81		(a) "Handler" means an individual who uses a public safety animal to assist with duties
82	82		39
83	83		of a public safety organization.
84	84		40
85	85		(b) "Public safety animal" means an animal that a public safety organization:
86	86		41
87	87		(i) owns or uses under contract; and
88	88		42
89	89		(ii) uses, or allows another public safety organization to use, to assist with duties of a
90	90		43
91	91		public safety organization.
92	92		44
93	93		(c) "Public safety organization" means a government entity that provides a law
94	94		45
95	95		enforcement, firefighting, search and rescue, military, or other public safety service.
96	96		46
97	97		(2) It is a second degree felony for a person to intentionally or knowingly cause death to a [
98	98		47
99	99		police service canine] public safety animal.
100	100		48
101	101		(3) It is a third degree felony for a person to intentionally or knowingly:
102	102		49
103	103		(a) cause bodily injury to a [police service canine] public safety animal;
104	104		50
105		-	(b) engage in conduct likely to cause bodily injury or death to [a police service canine] a
	105	+	(b) engage in conduct likely to cause bodily injury or death to [a police service canine]
106	106		51
107	107		public safety animal; or
108	108		52
109	109		(c) lay out, place, or administer any poison, trap, substance, or object which is likely to
110	110		53
111	111		produce bodily injury or death to a [police service canine] public safety animal.
112	112		54
113	113		(4) It is a class A misdemeanor for a person to intentionally or knowingly:
114	114		55
115	115		(a) taunt, torment, strike, or otherwise assault a [police service canine] public safety
116	116		56
117	117		animal;
118	118		57
119	119		(b) throw any object or substance at, or in the path of, a [police service canine] public
120	120		58
121	121		safety animal;
122	122		59
123	123		(c) interfere with or obstruct a [police service canine] public safety animal, or attempt to,
124	124		60
125	125		or interfere with the handler of [the canine] a public safety animal in a manner that
126	126		61
127	127		inhibits, restricts, or deprives the handler of control of the [canine] public safety
128	128		62
129	129		animal;
130		-	- 2 - Enrolled Copy S.B. 77
131	130		63
132	131		(d) release a [police service canine] public safety animal from its area of control, such as
133	132		64
134	133		a vehicle, kennel, or pen, or trespass in that area; or
	134	+	- 2 - 01-23 11:16 1st Sub. (Green) S.B. 77
135	135		65
136	136		(e) place any food, object, or substance into a [police service canine's] public safety
137	137		66
138	138		animal's area of control without the permission of the handler.
139	139		67
140	140		(5)(a) A [police service canine] public safety animal is exempt from quarantine or other
141	141		68
142	142		animal control ordinances if [it] the public safety animal bites any [person] individual
143	143		69
144	144		while under proper [police ]supervision by a public safety organization or during
145	145		70
146	146		routine veterinary care.[ ]
147	147		71
148	148		(b) The [law enforcement agency] public safety organization and the [canine's] public
149	149		72
150	150		safety animal's handler shall make the [canine] public safety animal available for
151	151		73
152	152		examination at any reasonable time and shall notify the local health officer if the [
153	153		74
154	154		canine] public safety animal exhibits any abnormal behavior.
155	155		75
156	156		(6) In addition to any other penalty, a person convicted of a violation of this section is liable
157	157		76
158	158		for restitution to the owning or employing [law enforcement agency] public safety
159	159		77
160	160		organization or individual owner of the [police service canine] public safety animal for
161	161		78
162	162		the replacement, training, and veterinary costs incurred as a result of the violation of this
163	163		79
164	164		section.
165	165		80
166	166		Section 2. Effective date.
167	167		81
168	168		This bill takes effect on May 7, 2025.
169	169		82
170	170		Section 3. Coordinating S.B. 77 with H.B. 21.
171	171		83
172	172		If S.B. 77, Public Safety Animal Amendments, and H.B. 21, Criminal Code
173	173		84
174	174		Recodification and Cross References, both pass and become law, the Legislature intends that,
175	175		85
176	176		on May 7, 2025:
177	177		86
178	178		(1) Section 76-13-209 (renumbered from Section 76-9-306) in H.B. 21 and Section
179	179		87
180	180		76-9-306 in S.B. 77 be amended to read:
181	181		88
182	182		"76-13-209. Endangering, injuring, or killing a public safety animal.
183	183		89
184	184		(1) (a) As used in this section:
185	185		90
186	186		[(a) "Handler" means a law enforcement officer who is specially trained, and uses a police
187	187		91
188	188		service canine during the course of the performance of his law enforcement duties.]
189	189		92
190	190		[(b) "Police service canine" means any dog used by a law enforcement agency, which is
191	191		93
192	192		specially trained for law enforcement work, or any animal contracted to assist a law
193	193		94
194	194		enforcement agency in the performance of law enforcement duties.]
195	195		95
196	196		(i) "Handler" means an individual who uses a public safety animal to assist with duties of a
197	197		96
198	198		public safety organization.
199		-	- 3 - S.B. 77 Enrolled Copy
200	199		97
201	200		(ii) "Public safety animal" means an animal that a public safety organization:
202	201		98
203	202		(A) owns or uses under contract; and
	203	+	- 3 - 1st Sub. (Green) S.B. 77 01-23 11:16
204	204		99
205	205		(B) uses, or allows another public safety organization to use, to assist with duties of a
206	206		100
207	207		public safety organization.
208	208		101
209	209		(iii) "Public safety organization" means a government entity that provides a law
210	210		102
211	211		enforcement, firefighting, search and rescue, military, or other public safety service.
212	212		103
213	213		(b) Terms defined in Sections 76-1-101.5, 76-13-101, and 76-13-201 apply to this section.
214	214		104
215	215		(2) [It is a second degree felony for a person to intentionally or knowingly cause] An actor
216	216		105
217	217		commits endangering, injuring, or killing a public safety animal if the actor intentionally or
218	218		106
219	219		knowingly:
220	220		107
221	221		(a) causes the death [to] of a [police service canine.] public safety animal;
222	222		108
223	223		(b) causes bodily injury to a public safety animal;
224	224		109
225	225		(c) engages in conduct likely to cause bodily injury or death to a public safety animal; or
226	226		110
227	227		(d) lays out, places, or administers any poison, trap, substance, or object that is likely to
228	228		111
229	229		produce bodily injury or death to a public safety animal.
230	230		112
231	231		(3) (a) A violation of Subsection (2)(a) is a second degree felony.
232	232		113
233	233		(b) A violation of Subsection (2)(b), (c), or (d) is a third degree felony.
234	234		114
235	235		[(3) It is a third degree felony for a person to intentionally or knowingly:]
236	236		115
237	237		[(a) cause bodily injury to a police service canine;]
238	238		116
239	239		[(b) engage in conduct likely to cause bodily injury or death to a police service canine; or]
240	240		117
241	241		[(c) lay out, place, or administer any poison, trap, substance, or object which is likely to
242	242		118
243	243		produce bodily injury or death to a police service canine.]
244	244		119
245	245		[(4) It is a class A misdemeanor for a person to intentionally or knowingly:]
246	246		120
247	247		[(a) taunt, torment, strike, or otherwise assault a police service canine;]
248	248		121
249	249		[(b) throw any object or substance at, or in the path of, a police service canine;]
250	250		122
251	251		[(c) interfere with or obstruct a police service canine, or attempt to, or interfere with the
252	252		123
253	253		handler of the canine in a manner that inhibits, restricts, or deprives the handler of control of
254	254		124
255	255		the canine;]
256	256		125
257	257		[(d) release a police service canine from its area of control, such as a vehicle, kennel, or
258	258		126
259	259		pen, or trespass in that area; or]
260	260		127
261	261		[(e) place any food, object, or substance into a police service canine's area of control
262	262		128
263	263		without the permission of the handler.]
264	264		129
265	265		[(5)] (4)(a) A [police service canine] public safety animal is exempt from quarantine or
266	266		130
267	267		other animal control ordinances if [it] the public safety animal bites [any person] an individual
268		-	- 4 - Enrolled Copy S.B. 77
269	268		131
270	269		while under proper [police ]supervision by a public safety organization or during routine
271	270		132
272	271		veterinary care.
	272	+	- 4 - 01-23 11:16 1st Sub. (Green) S.B. 77
273	273		133
274	274		(b) The [law enforcement agency] public safety organization and the [canine's] public safety
275	275		134
276	276		animal's handler shall make the [canine] public safety animal available for examination at [any]
277	277		135
278	278		a reasonable time and shall notify the local health officer if the [canine] public safety animal
279	279		136
280	280		exhibits any abnormal behavior.
281	281		137
282	282		[(6)] (5) In addition to any other penalty, [a person] an actor convicted of a violation of this
283	283		138
284	284		section is liable for restitution to the owning or employing [law enforcement agency] public
285	285		139
286	286		safety organization or individual owner of the [police service canine] public safety animal for
287	287		140
288	288		the replacement, training, and veterinary costs incurred as a result of the violation of this
289	289		141
290	290		section."; and
291	291		142
292	292		(2) Section 76-13-210, enacted in H.B. 21, be amended to read:
293	293		143
294	294		"76-13-210. Interference with a public safety animal.
295	295		144
296	296		(1)(a) As used in this section:
297	297		145
298	298		(i) "Handler" means the same as that term is defined in Section 76-13-209.
299	299		146
300	300		(ii) "Public safety animal" means the same as that term is defined in Section 76-13-209.
301	301		147
302	302		(iii) "Public safety organization" means the same as that term is defined in Section
303	303		148
304	304		76-13-209.
305	305		149
306	306		(b) Terms defined in Sections 76-1-101.5, 76-13-101, and 76-13-201 apply to this section.
307	307		150
308	308		(2) An actor commits interference with a public safety animal if the actor intentionally or
309	309		151
310	310		knowingly:
311	311		152
312	312		(a) taunts, torments, strikes, or otherwise assaults a public safety animal;
313	313		153
314	314		(b) throws an object or substance at, or in the path of, a public safety animal;
315	315		154
316	316		(c) interferes with or obstructs a public safety animal, or attempts to, or interferes with the
317	317		155
318	318		handler of the public safety animal in a manner that inhibits, restricts, or deprives the handler
319	319		156
320	320		of control of the public safety animal;
321	321		157
322	322		(d) releases a public safety animal from the public safety animal's area of control, including
323	323		158
324	324		a vehicle, kennel, or pen, or trespasses in that area; or
325	325		159
326	326		(e) places any food, object, or substance into a public safety animal's area of control without
327	327		160
328	328		the permission of the handler.
329	329		161
330	330		(3) A violation of Subsection (2) is a class A misdemeanor.
331	331		162
332	332		(4) In addition to any other penalty, an actor convicted of a violation of this section is liable
333	333		163
334	334		for restitution to the owning or employing public safety organization or individual owner of
335	335		164
336	336		the public safety animal for the replacement, training, and veterinary costs incurred as a result
337		-	- 5 - S.B. 77 Enrolled Copy
338	337		165
339	338		of the violation of this section.".
340		-	- 6 -
	339	+	- 5 -