Bill Text: VA SB369 | 2024 | Regular Session | Prefiled

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Fowl or companion animals; maiming, killing, or poisoning, penalty.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Engrossed) 2024-03-08 - Left in Courts of Justice [SB369 Detail]

Download: Virginia-2024-SB369-Prefiled.html

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24101066D
SENATE BILL NO. 369 Offered January 10, 2024 Prefiled January 9, 2024 A BILL to amend and reenact §18.2-144 of the Code of Virginia, relating to maiming, killing, or poisoning fowl or companion animals; penalty. ---------- Patron-- Ebbin ---------- Referred to Committee on the Judiciary ----------

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That §18.2-144 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:

§18.2-144. Maiming, killing, or poisoning livestock, fowl, or companion animals; penalty.

Except as otherwise provided for by law, if any person maliciously shoot shoots, stab stabs, wound or wounds, or otherwise cause causes bodily injury to, or administer administers poison to or expose exposes poison with intent that it be taken by, any horse, mule, pony, cattle, swine, or other livestock, any fowl, or any companion animal of another, with intent to maim, disfigure, disable, or kill the same, or if he do does any of the foregoing acts to any such livestock, fowl, or companion animal of his own with intent to defraud any insurer thereof, he shall be is guilty of a Class 5 felony. If any person do any of the foregoing acts to any fowl or to any companion animal with any of the aforesaid intents, he shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor, except that any second or subsequent offense shall be a Class 6 felony if the current offense or any previous offense resulted in the death of an animal or the euthanasia of an animal based on the recommendation of a licensed veterinarian upon determination that such euthanasia was necessary due to the condition of the animal, and such condition was a direct result of a violation of this section.

2. That the provisions of this act may result in a net increase in periods of imprisonment or commitment. Pursuant to §30-19.1:4 of the Code of Virginia, the estimated amount of the necessary appropriation is $227,109 for periods of imprisonment in state adult correctional facilities and cannot be determined for periods of commitment to the custody of the Department of Juvenile Justice.