PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 161 | PRINTER'S NO. 1941 |
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. | 164 | Session of 2013 |
INTRODUCED BY STEPHENS, MAHER, B. BOYLE, BROOKS, V. BROWN, CLYMER, D. COSTA, COX, FRANKEL, GOODMAN, HARHAI, HESS, KORTZ, MACKENZIE, MCCARTER, MCNEILL, O'BRIEN, O'NEILL, PICKETT, RAVENSTAHL, READSHAW, ROCK, ROZZI, SCHLOSSBERG, WATSON, WHITE, SCAVELLO, K. BOYLE, SAYLOR, HAGGERTY, CALTAGIRONE, HANNA, DiGIROLAMO, KAVULICH, HARKINS, FARINA, MATZIE, GIBBONS, R. MILLER, SONNEY, DeLUCA, GILLEN, MURT, SIMMONS, GINGRICH, SWANGER, BRADFORD, FARRY, DAVIS, GILLESPIE, TOBASH, DEASY, SANTARSIERO, SAINATO, DAVIDSON, PAINTER AND DENLINGER, JANUARY 17, 2013
AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED, JUNE 4, 2013
AN ACT
1Amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania
2Consolidated Statutes, further providing for the offense of
3cruelty to animals.
4The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
5hereby enacts as follows:
6Section 1. Section 5511(q) of Title 18 of the Pennsylvania
7Consolidated Statutes is amended by adding a definition and the
8section is amended by adding a subsection to read:
9§ 5511. Cruelty to animals.
10* * *
11(h.2) Possession of animal fighting paraphernalia.--<-A person
<-12In addition to any other penalty provided by law, a person
13commits a misdemeanor of the third degree if he knowingly owns
14or possesses animal fighting paraphernalia.
1* * *
2(q) Definitions.--As used in this section, the following
3words and phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this
4subsection:
5* * *
6"Animal fighting paraphernalia." Any device, implement,
7object, facility, space or drug used, or intended to be used,
8for animal fighting, to train an animal for animal fighting or
9in furtherance of animal fighting. <-In determining whether an
10object is animal fighting paraphernalia, a court or other
11authority should consider statements by an owner or by anyone in
12control of the object concerning its use, any prior convictions
13under Federal or State law relating to animal fighting, the
14proximity of the object in time and space to the direct
15violation of this section, direct or circumstantial evidence of
16the intent of the accused to deliver the object to persons whom
17he or she knows or should reasonably know intends to use the
18object to facilitate a violation of this section, oral or
19written instructions provided with or in the vicinity of the
20object concerning its use, descriptive materials accompanying
21the object which explain or depict its use and all other
22logically relevant factors.
23* * *
24Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.