STAND. COM. REP. NO.  418

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2011

RE:   H.B. No. 243

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 243 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ANIMAL CRUELTY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to create stronger provisions for the protection of pet animals from abuse and cruelty by adding killing or attempting to kill the pet animal of another in the offense of cruelty to animals in the first degree, with the exception of those animals killed by an animal control officer, duly incorporated humane society, duly incorporated society for the prevention of cruelty to animals, or duly authorized governmental agency.

     The City and County of Honolulu Department of the Prosecuting Attorney, Hawaiian Humane Society, a member of the Board of Directors of the Maui Humane Society, the Hawaii State Director of the Humane Society of the United States, the Director of the West Hawaii Humane Society, and numerous concerned citizens testified in support of this bill.  The Office of the Public Defender testified in opposition to this measure.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by changing the effective date to January 7, 2059, to encourage further discussion.

     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. 243, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 243, H.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

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

____________________________

GILBERT KEITH-AGARAN, Chair