STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1146-12

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2012

RE:   S.B. No. 2502

      S.D. 1

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2012

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 2502, S.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to eliminate the use of certain lethal methods for the control of animals by:

     (1)  Requiring dogs or cats that are captured or killed in a snare or trap to be reported to a county animal control officer;

     (2)  Establishing an animal cruelty offense for the use of steel-jawed leg-hold traps or the use of snares, conibear, and foot- or leg-hold traps in residential or other prohibited areas; and

     (3)  Providing exemptions for activities carried out by state or federal agencies.

The Department of Land and Natural Resources, Humane Society of the United States, Hawaiian Humane Society, Hawaii Island Humane Society, The Nature Conservancy, Born Free USA, CatFriends, and numerous individuals testified in support of this measure.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2012; and

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

     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. 2502, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2502, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

GILBERT KEITH-AGARAN, Chair