STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3000

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2562

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 2562, S.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

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

(2) 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; and

(3) Make cropping and docking offenses of cruelty to animals in the first degree.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaiian Humane Society, Animal Welfare Institute, Animal Interfaith Alliance in Britain, and sixteen individuals.

Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Department of Agriculture; Hawaii Cattlemen's Council, Inc.; Kealia Ranch LLC; Diamond B Ranch, LLC; Ponoholo Ranch, Limited; Hawaii Veterinary Medical Association; Kapapala Ranch; Dave's Piggery; 3B Livestock; and fifty-five individuals.

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

Your Committee finds that the existing statute regarding animal cruelty contains a loophole that exempts non-veterinarians from facing penalties when performing surgical procedures on animals. Your Committee further finds that this loophole in the veterinary licensing statute has resulted in pet animals being injured by procedures conducted by inexperienced owners. This measure ensures the protection of pet animals from significant injury by clarifying and strengthening the statute banning unauthorized and unlicensed individuals from performing veterinary procedures on animals.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting an effective date of April 14, 2112, to encourage further discussion; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2562, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2562, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary,

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KARL RHOADS, Chair