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Committee advances tougher animal-cruelty provisions after advocates and defenders clash over enforcement
Summary
After lengthy testimony from animal-welfare advocates and the Office of the Public Defender, the committee reorganized and advanced proposed increases in penalties for animal cruelty while flagging enforcement and sentencing concerns.
The committee considered House Bill 698, which proposes raising criminal classifications and penalties for certain animal-cruelty offenses, at the Feb. 20 hearing.
Haley Chang of the Office of the Public Defender said her office opposes the measure as drafted because it raises several offenses from class C felonies to class B or class A, potentially creating mandatory prison terms with very limited probation options. “These offenses are not being charged,” Chang told committee members, arguing the number of prosecutions the PD’s office sees is small and that “enhancing the penalties rather than focusing on education and enforcement is really our opposition.”
Animal-welfare advocates told the committee they see frequent, severe animal abuse and urged stronger penalties. Stephanie Kendrick of the Hawaiian Humane Society said prosecutors had dismissed cases in the past year despite video and forensic evidence; she advocated both for stiffer penalties and for better engagement by prosecutors and courts. Rochelle Correa Alameda and Chantelle Moniz, who testified for rescue organizations, told lawmakers they believe stronger criminal consequences will deter abuse and hold offenders accountable.
Committee Chair Tarnas said he would move amendments to reorganize penalty subsections so that first-offense and subsequent-offense language is separated for clarity and for use in charging documents. The committee adopted those drafting changes and advanced the bill; the record shows 92 written testimonies in support and several others in opposition. Representative Peruso registered a no vote during the committee decision; the committee otherwise adopted the recommendation to move HB 698 forward with those structural amendments.
Ending: HB 698 moves to the next stage with restructured penalty subsections; committee members stressed the need to coordinate enforcement and prosecution resources alongside any statutory penalty increases.
