A01468
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
940
Session of
2021
INTRODUCED BY RIGBY, E. NELSON, KNOWLES, RYAN, KULIK, JAMES,
SMITH, GUENST, POLINCHOCK, SCHMITT, THOMAS, SANKEY, SILVIS,
FARRY, KAIL, KAUFFMAN, STRUZZI, SCHLEGEL CULVER, DAVANZO,
DRISCOLL, JOZWIAK, HERSHEY, CAUSER, GREGORY, ECKER,
OBERLANDER, MOUL, ZIMMERMAN, WHEELAND, MERCURI AND MASSER,
MARCH 17, 2021
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY, MARCH 17, 2021
AN ACT
Amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) Titles 18 (Crimes and
Offenses) and 53 (Municipalities Generally) of the
Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in cruelty to animals,
further providing for police animals.; and, in employees,
providing for canine training standards for police officers.
This act may be referred to as Titan's Law.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Section 5548 of Title 18 of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes is amended to read:
§ 5548. Police animals.
(a) Illegal to taunt police animals.--It shall be unlawful
for a person to intentionally or knowingly taunt, torment,
tease, beat, kick or strike a police animal. A person who
violates the provisions of this subsection commits a felony of
the third degree.
(b) Illegal to torture or kill police animals.--It shall be
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unlawful for a person to [intentionally]:
(1) Intentionally or knowingly torture, mutilate,
injure, disable, poison or kill a police animal. A person who
violates the provisions of this [subsection] paragraph
commits a felony of the second degree.
(2) Recklessly torture, mutilate, injure, disable,
poison or kill a police animal. A person who violates the
provisions of this paragraph commits a misdemeanor of the
first degree.
(b.1) Illegal to torture or kill police animals during
perpetration of felony.--It shall be unlawful for a person to
torture, mutilate, injure, disable, poison or kill a police
animal while engaged as a principal or an accomplice in the
perpetration of a felony. A person who violates the provisions
of this subsection commits a felony of the third degree.
(c) Restitution.--In a case in which a defendant is
convicted of a violation of subsection (a) [or (b)], (b) or
(b.1) the defendant shall be ordered to make restitution to the
agency or individual owning the animal for veterinary bills, for
replacement costs of the animal if it is disabled or killed and
for the salary of the animal's handler for the period of time
the handler's services are lost to the agency.
Section 2. Title 53 is amended by adding a section to read:
§ 2172. Canine training standards for police officers.
(a) Establishment.--The commission, in collaboration with
the Pennsylvania State Police and municipal police department
canine units or officers, shall establish police officer canine
training and certification standards, including all of the
following:
(1) Standards for initial certifications.
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(2) Standards for maintenance certifications.
(3) Record keeping policies and procedures for police
department canine units or officers.
(b) Updates.--The commission shall review and update the
standards under subsection (a) as the commission deems necessary
and at least every two years.
(c) Notice.--The commission shall transmit notice of the
standards established and updated under this section to the
Legislative Reference Bureau for publication in the Pennsylvania
Bulletin.
Section 2 3. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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