ENROLLED
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE
for
H. B. 3143
(By Delegates Pasdon, Hall, Craig, R. Phillips,
Miley and Boggs)
[Passed March 12, 2011; in effect ninety days from passage.]
AN ACT to amend and reenact §19-20-24 of the Code of West Virginia,
1931, as amended; and to amend and reenact §61-3E-6 of said
code; all relating to increasing penalties for causing injury
or death to certain animals used by law enforcement or in law
enforcement duties; and providing for restitution to the
agency or department that owns or owned the animal.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That §19-20-24 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended,
be amended and reenacted; and that §61-3E-6 of said code be amended
and reenacted, all to read as follows:
CHAPTER 19. AGRICULTURE.
ARTICLE 20. DOGS AND CATS.
§19-20-24. Causing death or injury to animals used by law-
enforcement officials or by fire prevention or
investigation officials; criminal penalties.
Any person who, without justification, and with the unlawful
intent to inflict serious physical injury or death, causes the
death of any trained dog or horse used by law-enforcement
officials, the Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety or by fire prevention or investigation officials in the performance of
their official duties is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction
thereof, shall be fined not less than $500 nor more than $5,000 and
imprisoned in a correctional facility for a definite term of not
less than one year nor more than three years.
Any person who, without justification, willfully and
unlawfully causes physical injury to any trained dog or horse used
by law-enforcement officials, the Department of Military Affairs
and Public Safety or by fire prevention or investigation officials
in the performance of their official duties is guilty of a
misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not more
than $500 or confined in jail not more than six months, or both.
Any person convicted of a violation of this section shall be
ordered to make restitution to the law-enforcement agency, the
Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety or to the State
Fire Marshal or other fire prevention or investigation department
or agency owning the animal for any veterinary bills, and
replacement costs of any disabled or killed animal.
CHAPTER 61. CRIMES AND THEIR PUNISHMENT.
ARTICLE 3E. OFFENSES INVOLVING EXPLOSIVES.
§61-3E-6. Causing death or injury to an explosives detection
animal; penalty.
Any person who violates the provisions of this article which
violation causes death, serious or debilitating bodily injury to an
explosives detection animal owned or used by a law-enforcement
agency, shall be guilty of a felony and, upon conviction thereof,
be committed to the custody of the Division of Corrections for not
less than one year nor more than five years or fined not more than $5,000 or both. Any person convicted of a violation of this section
shall be ordered to make restitution to the law-enforcement agency,
the Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety or to the
State Fire Marshal or other fire prevention or investigation
department or agency owning the animal for any veterinary bills,
and replacement costs of any disabled or killed animal.