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Committee approves sweeping animal-protection bill raising penalties and expanding definitions
Summary
House Bill 11 65 would strengthen animal-protection laws across several areas: remove cost-sharing for vehicle rescues, expand abuse/neglect definitions, elevate certain theft and cruelty offenses, add an aggravator for death or permanent impairment, provide enhanced penalties for killing law-enforcement animals, and prohibit certain inhumane euthanasia methods. Prosecutors and animal-care officials urged passage; the committee advanced the bill by unanimous vote.
Representative McNamara introduced House Bill 11 65 as a package of statutory updates to make enforcement and penalties consistent across counties and to give prosecutors more tools against severe animal cruelty.
The bill removes the rule that a private citizen must pay half the cost of forcing entry to rescue an animal from a vehicle while retaining immunity conditions (imminent danger, contacting responders, remaining on scene). It also clarifies companion and domestic animal definitions, adds a sentencing aggravator for offenses that cause death or permanent impairment of an animal, elevates theft of a domestic animal to a higher felony…
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