ANIMAL FIGHTING H.B. 4655 (S-1): FLOOR ANALYSIS
House Bill 4655 (Substitute S-1 as reported) Sponsor: Representative Gerald Law
House Committee: Judiciary and Civil Rights Senate Committee: Agriculture and Forestry
The bill would amend the Michigan Penal Code to do all of the following:
-- Prohibit certain activities related to the fighting, baiting, or target shooting of an "animal" rather than a "bull, bear, dog, or other animal". ("Animal", under the bill, would mean a vertebrate other than a human.)
-- Increase the maximum fines for animal fighting offenses, and specifically allow community service as part of a felony punishment for those offenses.
-- Allow a sentencing court to order an offender to pay prosecution costs and costs of caring for an animal.
-- Specify that, in addition to animals, equipment, devices, and money involved in an animal fighting violation, all other instrumentalities, proceeds, and substituted proceeds of those violations would be subject to forfeiture under the Revised Judicature Act.
-- Extend criminal penalties pertaining to the ownership of a dog trained or used for fighting to the ownership of an animal trained or used for fighting.
-- Delete provisions subjecting the owners of certain dogs to felony penalties when a person other than the owner incites a dog to attack another person.
The bill is tie-barred to House Bill 4656 and would take effect January 1, 1996.
MCL 750.49 Legislative Analyst: L. Arasim
House Bills 4655(S-1) and 4656 (S-1) would likely have a minimal fiscal impact, if any, on State and local government. The addition of community service as a sanctioning option for violators could increase supervision costs at the local and/or State level. The additional fines also could generate additional revenue. There are no reliable data at present, however, that might indicate how many offenders might be subject to the increased penalties in House Bill 4655 (S-1).
Date Completed: 11-6-95 Fiscal Analyst: M. Hansen
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This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.