| TO: | Honorable Terry Keel, Chair, House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence |
| FROM: | John S. O'Brien, Deputy Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | HB2222 by Menendez (Relating to the prosecution and punishment of certain offenses prohibiting animal fighting.), As Introduced |
The bill would change from a Class A misdemeanor to a State Jail Felony the act of causing a dog fight and from a Class C misdemeanor to a Class A misdemeanor the act of attending as a spectator an exhibition of a dog fight. Additionally, the bill would prohibit cockfighting. Certain offenses related to cockfighting would be a State Jail Felony and others would be a Class A misdemeanor. The bill would take effect September 1, 2005 and would apply only to an offense committed on or after that date.
Any increase in the number of persons convicted of a State Jail Felony under the provisions of the bill is expected to have an insignificant fiscal impact on State Jail operations.
No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated from enforcement, prosecution, and punishment of persons committing the listed offenses.
| Source Agencies: |
| LBB Staff: | JOB, KJG, DLBa
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