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Utah House debates broader cruelty-to-animals law, adopts technical amendments and encircles bill
Summary
Lawmakers spent much of the afternoon debating House Bill 189, a measure to expand criminal liability for animal cruelty to include criminal negligence and to exempt accepted agricultural husbandry; sponsors and opponents sparred over definitions, enforcement and rural impacts. The bill was amended on several technical points and was encircled for later action.
Representative Frank R. Pignanelli reintroduced a revised cruelty-to-animals bill and a package of amendments crafted with input from the Utah Farm Bureau, the Utah Farmers Union, the Wool Growers Association and the Division of Wildlife Resources. Pignanelli told the House the changes are intended to close a prosecutorial gap: "Under the current statute, you cannot be prosecuted for cruelty to animals unless it can be demonstrated that you intentionally did it," and the bill adds criminal negligence to the offenses prosecutors may pursue.
The sponsor argued the measure narrows the gap between negligent and intentional harm and would give animal-enforcement…
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