STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1581-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: S.B. No. 2562

S.D. 3

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 2562, S.D. 3, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Prohibit individuals without a valid unrevoked license obtained from the Hawaii Board of Veterinary Medicine, or operating under the direct supervision of the same, from performing any surgical procedure on any pet animal;

(2) Make performing any surgical procedure on any pet animal without a valid unrevoked license, or operating under the direct supervision of the same, a class C felony; and

(3) Repeal the exception of cropping and docking as customarily practiced under the offense 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 numerous individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Department of Agriculture. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Hawaii Board of Veterinary Medicine; Hawaii Veterinary Medical Association; and Hawaii Cattlemen's Council, Inc.

Your Committee finds that surgical procedures on pet animals, such as dogs and cats, by untrained persons are cruel and harmful to the animals. Your Committee further finds that surgical procedures should only be performed on pet animals by licensed veterinary practitioners.

Your Committee further finds that H.B. No. 1527, H.D. 1 (Regular Session of 2024), a substantially similar measure, was previously passed by the House.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Deleting its contents and inserting the contents of H.B. 1527, H.D. 1, a measure that:

(A) Prohibits animal owners and their employees from performing any surgical procedures on the owner's animal or animals, if the owners and employees are not licensed to practice veterinary medicine;

(B) Increases the penalties for the unlicensed practice of veterinary medicine to a fine of no more than $1,000, or imprisonment of no more than one year, or both;

(C) Clarifies that the offense of cruelty to animals in the first degree does not apply to accepted veterinary practices when the practices are performed by a license veterinarian; and

(D) Takes effect on July 1, 3000; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2562, S.D. 3, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2562, S.D. 3, H.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs,

____________________________

DAVID A. TARNAS, Chair