2019 -- S 0779

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LC002319

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2019

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO ANIMALS AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY -- CRUELTY TO PUBLIC

SAFETY DOGS AND HORSES

     

     Introduced By: Senators Goodwin, and McCaffrey

     Date Introduced: April 04, 2019

     Referred To: Senate Judiciary

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Section 4-1-30 of the General Laws in Chapter 4-1 entitled "Cruelty to

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Animals" is hereby repealed.

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     4-1-30. Cruelty to police animals.

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     Any person who willfully tortures, torments, beats, kicks, strikes, mutilates, injures,

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disables, or otherwise mistreats any dog or horse owned by a police department of this state or

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any of its political subdivisions or who willfully by any action interferes with the lawful

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performance of a police dog or horse shall be punished by a fine of not less than one hundred

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dollars ($100) and not more than five hundred dollars ($500), or by imprisonment for not more

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than one year, or both.

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     SECTION 2. Chapter 4-1 of the General Laws entitled "Cruelty to Animals" is hereby

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amended by adding thereto the following section:

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     4-1-30.1. Cruelty to public safety - Dogs and horses.

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     (a) As used in this section:

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     (1) "Police canine" means any canine, and "police horse" means any horse, that is owned

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or in the service of a law enforcement agency, for the principal purpose of aiding in the detection

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of criminal activity, enforcement of laws, maintaining public order, or apprehension of offenders;

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     (2) "Fire canine" means any canine that is owned, or in the service of a fire department, a

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special fire district, or the state fire marshal for the principal purpose of aiding in the detection of

 

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flammable materials or the investigation of fires; and

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     (3) "SAR canine" means any search and rescue canine that is owned, or in the service of a

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fire department, a law enforcement agency, a special fire district, or the state fire marshal, for the

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principal purpose of aiding in the detection of missing persons, including, but not limited to,

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persons who are lost, who are trapped under debris as the result of a natural, manmade, or

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technological disaster or who are drowning victims.

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     (b) Penalties:

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     (1) Any person who intentionally and knowingly, without lawful cause or justification,

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causes great bodily harm, permanent disability, or death to, or uses a deadly weapon upon, a

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police canine, fire canine, SAR canine, or police horse commits a felony, shall be imprisoned not

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exceeding five (5) years or be fined not exceeding one thousand dollars ($1,000), and shall, in the

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case of any animal of another, be liable to the owner of this animal for triple damages, to be

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recovered by civil action. In addition, any person convicted under this section shall be required to

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serve fifty (50) hours of community restitution. That community restitution penalty shall not be

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suspended or deferred and is mandatory.

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     (2) Any person who actually and intentionally maliciously touches, strikes, or causes

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bodily harm to a police canine, fire canine, SAR canine, or police horse commits a misdemeanor,

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and shall be punished by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000) or imprisonment

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of not more than one year, or both.

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     (3) Any person who intentionally or knowingly maliciously harasses, teases, interferes

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with, or attempts to interfere with a police canine, fire canine, SAR canine, or police horse while

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the animal is in the performance of its duties commits a misdemeanor, and shall be punished by a

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fine of not less than one hundred dollars ($100) and not more than five hundred dollars ($500), or

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imprisonment of not more than one year, or both.

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     (c) Except as provided in subsection (b)(1) of this section, any person convicted under

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this section shall make full restitution for injuries sustained by the police canine, fire canine, SAR

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canine, or police horse and shall pay the replacement cost of any dog or horse, if that animal can

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no longer perform its public safety duties. Any canine that is owned by or employed by a law

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enforcement agency shall be exempt from restitution requirements of this subsection.

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     SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO ANIMALS AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY -- CRUELTY TO PUBLIC

SAFETY DOGS AND HORSES

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     This act would provide special protection to public safety canines and horses that are

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intentionally or maliciously subjected to cruelty, injuries, or death, by increasing the potential

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criminal and civil penalties for the offenders.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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