0001|                            HOUSE BILL 500
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0002|     43rd legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 1997
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0003|                            INTRODUCED BY
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0004|                            G. X. MCSHERRY
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0005|     
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0006|                                   
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0007|     
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0008|     
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0009|     
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0010|                                AN ACT
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0011|     RELATING TO ANIMALS; INCREASING THE CRIMINAL PENALTIES FOR
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0012|     CRUELTY TO ANIMALS; PROVIDING FOR SEIZURE OF ANIMALS; REPEALING
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0013|     AND ENACTING SECTIONS OF THE NMSA 1978; DECLARING AN EMERGENCY.
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0014|     
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0015|     BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:
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0016|          Section 1.  Section 30-18-1 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1963,
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0017|     Chapter 303, Section 18-1) is repealed and a new Section 30-18-
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0018|     1 NMSA 1978 is enacted to read:
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0019|          "30-18-1.  [<u>NEW MATERIAL</u>] EXTREME CRUELTY OR CRUELTY TO
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0020|     ANIMALS--PENALTY--EXCEPTIONS.--
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0021|               A.  Extreme cruelty to animals consists of:
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0022|                    (1)  willfully or maliciously torturing,
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0023|     mutilating, injuring or poisoning an animal; or
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0024|                    (2)  cruelly killing an animal.
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0025|          Whoever commits extreme cruelty to animals is guilty of a
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0001|     fourth degree felony and shall be sentenced pursuant to the
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0002|     provisions of Section 31-18-15 NMSA 1978.
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0003|               B.  Cruelty to animals consists of:
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0004|                    (1)  failing to provide an animal with
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0005|     necessary sustenance;
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0006|                    (2)  cruelly driving or working an animal;
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0007|                    (3)  willfully or maliciously tormenting an
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0008|     animal; or
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0009|                    (4)  abandoning an animal for forty-eight hours
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0010|     or more.
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0011|          Whoever commits cruelty to animals is guilty of a
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0012|     misdemeanor and shall be sentenced pursuant to the provisions
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0013|     of Section 31-19-1 NMSA 1978.  Upon a second or subsequent
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0014|     conviction of cruelty to animals the offender is guilty of a
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0015|     fourth degree felony and shall be sentenced pursuant to the
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0016|     provisions of Section 31-18-15 NMSA 1978.
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0017|               C.  The court may order a person convicted for
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0018|     violating provisions of this section to participate in
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0019|     available animal cruelty prevention programs or education
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0020|     programs or to obtain psychological counseling for treatment of
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0021|     mental health disorders that, in the court's judgment,
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0022|     contributed to the commission of the crime.  The offender shall
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0023|     bear any costs incurred for participation in counseling or
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0024|     treatment programs under this section.
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0025|               D.  The provisions of this section shall not apply
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0001|     to:
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0002|                    (1)  fishing, hunting, taking and trapping
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0003|     pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 17 NMSA 1978;
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0004|                    (2)  the practice of veterinary medicine
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0005|     pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 61, Article 14 NMSA 1978;
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0006|                    (3)  rodent or pest control conducted pursuant
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0007|     to the provisions of Chapter 77, Article 15 NMSA 1978;
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0008|                    (4)  the use of commonly acceptable livestock
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0009|     management practices;
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0010|                    (5)  the use of commonly acceptable rodeo
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0011|     practices; or
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0012|                    (6)  every research facility, intermediate
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0013|     handler, carrier and exhibitor licensed pursuant to 7 USCA Sec.
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0014|     2136.
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0015|               E.  The court may prohibit a person convicted for
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0016|     violating provisions of this section from owning or possessing
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0017|     an animal for a period of time determined by the court.
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0018|               F.  A peace officer or a certified animal control
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0019|     officer employed by a subdivision of government shall seize an
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0020|     animal if he reasonably believes the animal's health, safety or
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0021|     life is endangered.  A person convicted for violating
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0022|     provisions of this section shall be required to bear the cost
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0023|     of boarding the animal and of veterinary care provided to the
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0024|     animal." 
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0025|          Section 2.  REPEAL.--Section 30-18-2 NMSA 1978 (being Laws
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0001|     1963, Chapter 303, Section 18-2) is repealed.
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0002|          Section 3.  EMERGENCY.--It is necessary for the public
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0003|     peace, health and safety that this act take effect immediately.
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0004|                                  
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0005|                                                          State of New Mexico
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0006|                      House of Representatives
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0007|   
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0008|                      FORTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE
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0009|                        FIRST SESSION, 1997
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0010|   
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0011|   
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0012|                                               February 25, 1997
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0013|   
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0014|   Mr. Speaker:
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0015|   
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0016|        Your AGRICULTURE AND WATER RESOURCES COMMITTEE,
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0017|   to whom has been referred
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0018|   
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0019|                        HOUSE BILL 500
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0020|   
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0021|   has had it under consideration and reports same with
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0022|   recommendation that it DO PASS, amended as follows:
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0023|   
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0024|        1.  On page 1, line 12, after the second occurrence of
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0025|   "ANIMALS;" insert "AMENDING,".
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0001|   
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0002|        2.  On page 2, lines 9 and 10, strike "for forty-eight hours
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0003|   or more".
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0004|        
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0005|        3.  On page 3, line 2, after "hunting," insert "falconry,".
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0006|   
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0007|        4.  On page 3, line 8, strike "the use of commonly
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0008|   acceptable".
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0009|   
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0010|        5.  On page 3, line 9, after "practices" insert "pursuant to
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0011|   the provisions of Section 77-18-2 NMSA 1978".
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0012|   
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0013|        6.  On page 3, line 10, strike "the use of commonly
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0014|   acceptable".
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0015|   
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0016|        7.  On page 3, line 11, after "practices" insert "pursuant
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0017|   to the provisions of Section 77-18-2 NMSA 1978".
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0018|   
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0019|        8.  On page 3, line 20, strike "health, safety or".
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0020|   
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0021|        9.  On page 3, line 21, after "endangered" insert "except
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0022|   that livestock and rodeo animals are dealt with pursuant to the
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0023|   provisions of Section 77-18-2 NMSA 1978".,
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0024|   
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0025|   and thence referred to the JUDICIARY COMMITTEE.
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0001|   
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0002|   The roll call vote on Amendment #9 was<u> 8 </u> For<u> 1 </u> Against
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0003|   Yes:      8
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0004|   No:       Abeyta
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0005|   Excused:  None
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0006|   Absent:   None
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0007|   
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0008|                                 Respectfully submitted,
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0009|   
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0010|   
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0011|   
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0012|                                 <u>                                
</u>    |
<u></u>0013| <u>  
</u>    |
<u></u>0014| <u>                                </u>                             G. X. McSherry, Chairman
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0015|   
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0016|   Adopted <u>                    </u>     Not Adopted <u>                    
</u>    |
<u></u>0017| <u>   </u>
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0018|             (Chief Clerk)                       (Chief Clerk)
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0019|   
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0020|                        Date <u>            </u>
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0021|   
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0022|   The roll call vote was<u> 8 </u> For<u> 0 </u> Against
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0023|   Yes:      8
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0024|             Excused:  Abeyta
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0025|             Absent:   None
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0001|   
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0002|   
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0003|   .117565.2
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0004|   G:\BILLTEXT\BILLW_97\H0500
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