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Indicates New Matter
S. 41
STATUS INFORMATION
General Bill
Sponsors: Senators Short and Ravenel
Document Path: l:\s-resmin\bills\short\smin0005.lhs.doc
Introduced in the Senate on January 14, 2003
Currently residing in the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources
Summary: Animal for fighting or attacking humans or domestic animals; penalty; animal to be destroyed
HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS
Date Body Action Description with journal page number
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12/4/2002 Senate Prefiled
12/4/2002 Senate Referred to Committee on Agriculture and Natural
Resources
1/9/2003 Scrivener's error corrected
1/14/2003 Senate Introduced and read first time SJ-38
1/14/2003 Senate Referred to Committee on Agriculture and Natural
Resources SJ-38
View the latest legislative information at the LPITS web site
VERSIONS OF THIS BILL
TO AMEND SECTION 47-3-740 BY ADDING THE PENALTY FOR OWNING OR HARBORING AN ANIMAL FOR FIGHTING OR ATTACKING HUMANS OR DOMESTIC ANIMALS AND TO ORDER THE ANIMAL DESTROYED UPON CONVICTION OF THE OWNER.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1. Section 47-3-740 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
"Section 47-3-740 (A) No person may own or harbor an animal for the purpose of fighting or train, torment, badger, bait, or use an animal for the purpose of causing or encouraging the animal to unprovoked attacks upon human beings or domestic animals.
(B) No person may possess with intent to sell, offer for sale, breed, or buy or attempt to buy a known dangerous animal; however, this subsection does not apply to a person who is licensed to possess and breed an animal under the classifications specified and regulated by the United States Department of Agriculture under the Animal Welfare Act as codified in Title 7 of the United States Code.
(C) A person who is the owner of a dangerous animal in violation of this Section;
(1) for a first offense, is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not less than one thousand dollars and not more than five thousand dollars and imprisoned not less than 30 or more than 90 days. In lieu of imprisonment, the court may require that the individual complete an appropriate term of community service of not fewer than 180 hours upon terms and conditions the court considers proper.
(2) for a second or subsequent offense, is guilty of a Class C misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not less than five thousand dollars and not more than ten thousand dollars and imprisoned not less than 90 days and not more than one year.
(D) Any dangerous animal as defined in 47-3-710 (A) (3) that has, for any reason, attacked a human being or a domestic animal must be ordered destroyed upon conviction of the owner in accordance with this Section."
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.
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