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Committee hears HB 1149 to expand animal‑cruelty offenses, strengthen penalties and seizure authority
Summary
House Bill 1149 would broaden criminal definitions for animal cruelty and animal fighting, add post‑conviction ownership bans for animal fighting, change ranking on the sentencing grid, and reduce the time before bystander intervention from 36 to 24 hours. Supporters from animal‑welfare groups, prosecutors and the Gambling Commission backed the
Representative April Hackney, sponsor of House Bill 1149, told the Community Safety Committee the bill is intended to strengthen public safety and close gaps in Washington’s animal‑cruelty laws.
Michelle Rusk, committee staff, summarized the measure: it expands the criminal offense of animal fighting to include aiding or abetting, ranks animal‑fighting offenses on the state sentencing grid, broadens the animal‑cruelty offense to cover persons as well as owners in certain cases, makes post‑conviction bans on animal ownership apply to animal‑fighting convictions, changes civil penalties to criminal penalties for violating ownership bans, expands law‑enforcement seizure authority when probable cause exists, and…
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