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Senate Judiciary panel adopts amendment narrowing stronger animal‑cruelty penalties to pet animals
Summary
The Senate Committee on Judiciary voted to adopt amendments to House Bill 698 to limit enhanced criminal penalties for animal cruelty to pet animals, clarify penalties for service animals, and define excluded animals such as chickens and pigs raised for food.
The Senate Committee on Judiciary voted to adopt amendments to House Bill 698 that narrow increased criminal penalties for animal‑cruelty offenses to pet animals and clarify separate penalties for service and law‑enforcement animals.
The action, taken at the committee’s decision‑making meeting, adopted a proposed Senate Draft 1 and additional amendments that define "pet animal," exclude chickens, roosters and pigs raised for food from that definition, and reinsert changes to a Hawaii Revised Statutes provision addressing injury or death to service animals. Senator Xin Zhang expressed concern about agricultural impacts and said she would "vote with reservations." Chair Rose and other voting members approved the recommendation.
The bill as amended places the enhanced penalties for cruelty to animals only on…
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