GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 2007

SESSION LAW 2007-80

SENATE BILL 34

AN ACT to make it a Class H felony to willfully kill a law enforcement AGENCY ANIMAL or assistance animal and to make it an aggravating circumstance for other criminal offenses that a law enforcement AGENCY ANIMAL or assistance animal was seriously harmed or killed while the animal was engaged in performing official duties.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  G.S. 14-163.1 is amended by adding a new subsection to read as follows:

"(a1) Any person who knows or has reason to know that an animal is a law enforcement agency animal or an assistance animal and who willfully kills the animal is guilty of a Class H felony."

SECTION 2.  G.S. 15A-1340.16(d) is amended by adding a new subdivision to read:

"(6a) The offense was committed against or proximately caused serious harm as defined in G.S. 14-163.1 or death to a law enforcement agency animal or assistance animal as defined in G.S. 14-163.1, while engaged in the performance of the animal's official duties."

SECTION 3.  This act becomes effective December 1, 2007, and applies to offenses committed on or after that date.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 5^th day of June, 2007.

                                                                    s/ Beverly E. Perdue

                                                                         President of the Senate

                                                                    s/ Joe Hackney

                                                                         Speaker of the House of Representatives

                                                                    s/ Michael F. Easley

                                                                         Governor

Approved 4:55 p.m. this 14^th day of June, 2007