House Bill 0941

    Florida House of Representatives - 2000                 HB 941

        By Representative Sobel






  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to fighting and baiting

  3         animals; amending s. 828.122, F.S.; providing a

  4         third degree felony penalty for owning,

  5         possessing, keeping, training, promoting,

  6         transporting, purchasing, or selling an animal

  7         for the purpose of fighting or baiting;

  8         providing for nonapplicability; providing

  9         construction; providing an effective date.

10

11  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

12

13         Section 1.  Subsection (3) of section 828.122, Florida

14  Statutes, is amended to read:

15         828.122  Fighting or baiting animals; offenses;

16  penalties.--

17         (3)  Any person who commits any of the following acts

18  is guilty of a felony of the third degree, punishable as

19  provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084:

20         (a)  Baiting, or using any animal for the purpose of

21  fighting or baiting any other animal.

22         (b)  Owning, possessing, keeping, training, promoting,

23  transporting, purchasing, or selling any animal for the

24  purpose of fighting or baiting.

25         (c)(b)  Knowingly owning, managing, or operating any

26  facility kept or used for the purpose of fighting or baiting

27  any animal.

28         (d)(c)  Promoting, staging, advertising, or charging

29  any admission fee to a fight or baiting between two or more

30  animals.

31

                                  1

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida House of Representatives - 2000                 HB 941

    710-115-00






  1         (6)  The provisions of subsection (3) and paragraph

  2  (4)(b) shall not apply to:

  3         (a)  Any person simulating a fight for the purpose of

  4  using the simulated fight as part of a motion picture which

  5  will be used on television or in a motion picture, provided s.

  6  828.12 is not violated.

  7         (b)  Any person using animals to pursue or take

  8  wildlife or to participate in any hunting regulated or subject

  9  to being regulated by the rules and regulations of the Fish

10  and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

11         (c)  Any person using animals to work livestock for

12  agricultural purposes.

13         (d)  Any person violating s. 828.121.

14         (e)  Any person using animals to hunt wild hogs or to

15  retrieve domestic hogs.

16         (7)  Nothing in this section shall be construed to

17  prohibit, impede, or otherwise interfere with recognized

18  animal husbandry and training techniques or practices not

19  otherwise specifically prohibited by law.

20         Section 2.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

21  law.

22

23            *****************************************

24                          HOUSE SUMMARY

25
      Provides a third degree felony penalty for owning,
26    possessing, keeping, training, promoting, transporting,
      purchasing, or selling an animal for the purpose of
27    fighting or baiting.

28

29

30

31

                                  2