Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 2691 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of the bill is to create a new felony offense of aggravated animal cruelty for:

(1) Repeated animal cruelty behavior; and

(2) Harming pet animals for intimidation of persons.

The Department of the Prosecuting Attorney for the City and County of Honolulu, Hawaiian Humane Society, Maui Humane Society, Kauai Humane Society, and concerned individuals testified in support of this bill. The Office of the Public Defender, Animal CARE Foundation, and concerned individuals opposed the measure.

Your Committee finds that repeated cruelty to animals and harming pet animals to mentally injure the pet owner are behaviors that need special attention.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2691, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2691, H.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.