Florida Senate - 2010                             CS for SB 1708
       
       
       
       By the Committee on Criminal Justice; and Senators Crist and
       Bullard
       
       
       
       591-03786-10                                          20101708c1
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the unlawful slaughter of horses;
    3         providing a short title; amending s. 500.451, F.S.;
    4         prohibiting specified acts relating to horsemeat for
    5         human consumption; providing penalties; increasing the
    6         classification of offenses relating to horsemeat for
    7         human consumption; providing for suspension of
    8         licenses of certain businesses for offenses relating
    9         to horsemeat; providing mandatory minimum penalties;
   10         amending s. 828.125, F.S.; revising provisions
   11         prohibiting certain acts relating to horses to apply
   12         to all horses regardless of breed; providing mandatory
   13         minimum penalties; providing an effective date.
   14  
   15  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   16  
   17         Section 1. This act may be cited as the “Ivonne Rodriguez
   18  Horse Protection Act.”
   19         Section 2. Section 500.451, Florida Statutes, is amended to
   20  read:
   21         500.451 Horse meat; offenses sale for human consumption.—
   22         (1) It is unlawful for any person to:
   23         (a) Sell in the markets of this state horse meat for human
   24  consumption unless the horse meat is clearly stamped, marked,
   25  and described as horse meat for human consumption.
   26         (b) Knowingly transport, distribute, sell, purchase, or
   27  possess horsemeat for human consumption which is not clearly
   28  stamped, marked, and described as horsemeat for human
   29  consumption or horsemeat that is not acquired from a licensed
   30  slaughterhouse.
   31         (2) A person that violates this section commits is guilty
   32  of a felony misdemeanor of the third second degree, punishable
   33  as provided in s. 775.082, or s. 775.083, or s. 775.084, except
   34  that any person who commits a violation of this section shall be
   35  sentenced to a minimum mandatory fine of $3,500 and a minimum
   36  mandatory period of incarceration of 1 year.
   37         (3) In addition to any penalties provided in subsection
   38  (2), any license of any restaurant, store, or other business may
   39  be suspended as provided in the applicable licensing law upon
   40  conviction of an owner or employee of that business for a
   41  violation of this section in connection with that business.
   42         Section 3. Subsection (1) of section 828.125, Florida
   43  Statutes, is amended to read:
   44         828.125 Killing or aggravated abuse of registered breed
   45  horses or cattle; offenses; penalties.—Any other provisions of
   46  this chapter to the contrary notwithstanding:
   47         (1) Any person who willfully and unlawfully, by any means
   48  whatsoever, kills, maims, mutilates, or causes great bodily harm
   49  or permanent breeding disability to any animal of the genus
   50  Equus (horse) or any animal of any registered breed or
   51  recognized registered hybrid of the genus Equus (horse) or genus
   52  Bos (cattle) commits, or any recognized registered hybrid of the
   53  specified genera, shall be guilty of a felony of the second
   54  degree, punishable as provided by s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s.
   55  775.084, except that any person who commits a violation of this
   56  subsection shall be sentenced to a minimum mandatory fine of
   57  $3,500 and a minimum mandatory period of incarceration of 1
   58  year.
   59         Section 4. This act shall take effect October 1, 2010.