STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1589-08

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2008

RE:   S.B. No. 2895

      S.D. 1

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 2895, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO OFFENSES AGAINST PUBLIC ORDER,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to extend some of the legal protections accorded to pet animals relating to animal cruelty specifically to equine animals by making an offense involving serious bodily injury or death of an equine animal a class C felony.

     The Humane Society of the United States, Hawaiian Humane Society, Kauai Humane Society, Animal Rights Hawaii, and several concerned individuals supported this bill.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

(1)  Including a definition of "equine animals;"

(2)  Changing the effective date to January 1, 2112, to encourage further discussion; and

(3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for style, clarity, and consistency.

     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 S.B. No. 2895, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2895, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary,

____________________________

TOMMY WATERS, Chair