STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2666

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2562

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Agriculture and Environment and Commerce and Consumer Protection, to which was referred S.B. No. 2562 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO VETERINARY MEDICINE,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to prohibit animal owners and their employees from performing any surgical procedures on the owner's dog or dogs.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaiian Humane Society; Animal Interfaith Alliance; Animal Welfare Institute; Kauaʻi Humane Society; Hawaii Veterinary Medical Association; Hawaii Cattlemen's Council, Inc.; and fourteen individuals.

Your Committees received testimony in opposition to this measure from one individual.

Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Hawaii Board of Veterinary Medicine.

Your Committees find that there is a need for more explicit laws to protect pet animals from significant harm caused by unlicensed individuals performing veterinary procedures. Your Committees also find that cropping and docking should not be performed by unlicensed individuals for compensation, monetary or otherwise, or by unlicensed individuals who perform the practice as part of the sale of a pet animal even if done gratuitously.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Expanding its scope to:

(A) Prohibit individuals without a valid unrevoked license obtained from the Hawaii Board of Veterinary Medicine from performing any surgical procedure on any animal; and

(B) Make performing any surgical procedure on any animal without a valid unrevoked license obtained from the Hawaii Board of Veterinary Medicine a class C felony;

(2) Repealing language that exempted cropping or docking as customarily practiced from the offense of cruelty to animals in the first degree; and

(3) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Agriculture and Environment and Commerce and Consumer Protection that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2562, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2562, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Agriculture and Environment and Commerce and Consumer Protection,

________________________________ JARRETT KEOHOKALOLE, Chair

________________________________ MIKE GABBARD, Chair