South Carolina General Assembly
117th Session, 2007-2008

Download This Bill in Microsoft Word format

A259, R334, H4921

STATUS INFORMATION

General Bill
Sponsors: Reps. Moss, M.A. Pitts, Lowe, Phillips and Pinson
Document Path: l:\council\bills\gjk\20617sd08.doc

Introduced in the House on April 1, 2008
Introduced in the Senate on May 1, 2008
Last Amended on May 22, 2008
Passed by the General Assembly on May 28, 2008
Became law without Governor's signature, June 5, 2008

Summary: Animal cruelty

HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

     Date      Body   Action Description with journal page number
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    4/1/2008  House   Introduced and read first time HJ-8
    4/1/2008  House   Referred to Committee on Judiciary HJ-8
    4/9/2008  House   Recalled from Committee on Judiciary HJ-37
    4/9/2008  House   Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Natural Resources 
                        and Environmental Affairs HJ-37
   4/17/2008  House   Committee report: Favorable Agriculture, Natural 
                        Resources and Environmental Affairs HJ-3
   4/23/2008  House   Debate adjourned until Wednesday, April 30, 2008 HJ-13
   4/30/2008  House   Debate adjourned HJ-26
   4/30/2008  House   Amended HJ-52
   4/30/2008  House   Read second time HJ-53
    5/1/2008  House   Read third time and sent to Senate HJ-126
    5/1/2008  Senate  Introduced and read first time SJ-12
    5/1/2008  Senate  Referred to Committee on Agriculture and Natural 
                        Resources SJ-12
   5/21/2008  Senate  Committee report: Favorable with amendment Agriculture 
                        and Natural Resources SJ-12
   5/22/2008          Scrivener's error corrected
   5/22/2008  Senate  Committee Amendment Adopted SJ-38
   5/22/2008  Senate  Amended SJ-38
   5/22/2008  Senate  Read second time SJ-38
   5/22/2008  Senate  Unanimous consent for third reading on next legislative 
                        day SJ-38
   5/23/2008  Senate  Read third time and returned to House with amendments 
                        SJ-4
   5/28/2008  House   Concurred in Senate amendment and enrolled HJ-199
   5/29/2008          Ratified R 334
    6/5/2008          Became law without Governor's signature
   6/10/2008          Copies available
   6/10/2008          Effective date 06/05/08
   6/13/2008          Act No. 259

View the latest legislative information at the LPITS web site

VERSIONS OF THIS BILL

4/1/2008
4/17/2008
4/30/2008
5/21/2008
5/22/2008
5/22/2008-A
5/23/2008


(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

(A259, R334, H4921)

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 47-1-10, AS AMENDED, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO DEFINITIONS IN REGARD TO CRUELTY TO ANIMALS, SO AS TO REVISE THE DEFINITION OF "ANIMAL"; TO AMEND SECTION 47-1-40, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO ILL-TREATMENT OF ANIMALS, SO AS TO FURTHER PROVIDE FOR EXCEPTIONS TO THE SECTION; AND TO AMEND SECTION 47-3-630, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO PENALTIES IN REGARD TO TEASING, MALTREATING, OR INJURING POLICE DOGS OR HORSES, SO AS TO REVISE THE PENALTIES FOR VIOLATIONS INCLUDING MAKING A PARTICULAR OFFENSE A FELONY.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

Definition revised

SECTION    1.    Section 47-1-10(1) of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 367 of 1998, is further amended to read:

"(1)    'Animal' means a living vertebrate creature except a homo sapien."

Exceptions modified

SECTION    2.    Section 47-1-40(C) of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 367 of 1998, is further amended to read:

"(C)    This section does not apply to fowl, accepted animal husbandry practices of farm operations and the training of animals, the practice of veterinary medicine, agricultural practices, forestry and silvacultural practices, wildlife management practices, or activity authorized by Title 50, including an activity authorized by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources or an exercise designed for training dogs for hunting, if repeated contact with a dog or dogs and another animal does not occur during this training exercise."

Penalties revised

SECTION    3.    Section 47-3-630 of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 68 of 1995, is further amended to read:

"Section 47-3-630.    A person who violates any of the provisions of this article, except for Section 47-3-620, is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not less than five hundred dollars nor more than one thousand dollars or imprisoned not less than thirty days nor more than six months, or both. A person who violates the provisions of Section 47-3-620 is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction, must be fined not less than two thousand dollars nor more than five thousand dollars and imprisoned not less than one year nor more than five years."

Time effective

SECTION    4.    This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

Ratified the 29th day of May, 2008.

Became law without the signature of the Governor -- 6/5/08.

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This web page was last updated on Monday, October 10, 2011 at 1:40 P.M.