80R4046 JPL-D

By: Menendez H.B. No. 917

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the prosecution and punishment of certain offenses prohibiting animal fighting.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Sections 42.10(a), (c), (d), and (e), Penal Code, are amended to read as follows:

(a) A person commits an offense if he intentionally or knowingly:

(1) causes a dog to fight with another dog;

(2) [for a pecuniary benefit causes a dog to fight with another dog;

[(3)] participates in the earnings of or operates a facility used for dog fighting;

(3) [(4)] uses or permits another to use any real estate, building, room, tent, arena, or other property for dog fighting;

(4) [(5)] owns or trains a dog with the intent that the dog be used in an exhibition of dog fighting; or

(5) [(6)] attends as a spectator an exhibition of dog fighting.

(c) A conviction under [Subdivision (2), (3), or (4) of] Subsection (a)(2) or (3) [(a)] may be had upon the uncorroborated testimony of a party to the offense.

(d) It is a defense to prosecution under [Subdivision (1) or (2) of] Subsection (a)(1) [(a)] that the actor caused a dog to fight with another dog to protect livestock, other property, or a person from the other dog, and for no other purpose.

(e) An offense under [Subdivision (1) or (5) of] Subsection (a)(4) or (5) [(a)] is a Class A misdemeanor. An offense under [Subdivision (2), (3), or (4) of] Subsection (a)(1), (2), or (3) [(a)] is a state jail felony. [An offense under Subdivision (6) of Subsection (a) is a Class C misdemeanor.]

SECTION 2. Chapter 42, Title 9, Penal Code, is amended by adding Section 42.14 to read as follows:

Sec. 42.14. COCKFIGHTING. (a) In this section:

(1) "Cock" means the male of any type of domestic fowl.

(2) "Cockfighting" means any situation in which one cock attacks or fights with another cock.

(3) "Gaff" means an artificial steel spur designed to attach to the leg of a cock to replace or supplement the cock's natural spur.

(4) "Slasher" means a steel weapon resembling a curved knife blade designed to attach to the foot of a cock.

(b) A person commits an offense if the person knowingly:

(1) causes a cock to fight with another cock;

(2) participates in the earnings of or operates a facility used for cockfighting;

(3) uses or permits another to use any real estate, building, room, tent, arena, or other property for cockfighting;

(4) owns, possesses, or trains a cock with the intent that the cock be used in an exhibition of cockfighting;

(5) manufactures, buys, sells, barters, exchanges, possesses, advertises, or otherwise offers a gaff, slasher, or other sharp implement designed for attachment to a cock with the intent that the implement be used in cockfighting; or

(6) attends as a spectator an exhibition of cockfighting.

(c) An offense under Subsection (b)(1), (2), (3), or (5) is a state jail felony. An offense under Subsection (b)(4) or (6) is a Class A misdemeanor.

SECTION 3. Articles 18.18(a), (b), (e), (f), and (g), Criminal Code of Procedure, are amended to read as follows:

(a) Following the final conviction of a person for possession of a gambling device or equipment, altered gambling equipment, or gambling paraphernalia, for an offense involving a criminal instrument, for an offense involving an obscene device or material, for an offense involving child pornography, or for an offense involving a scanning device or re-encoder, the court entering the judgment of conviction shall order that the machine, device, gambling equipment or gambling paraphernalia, instrument, obscene device or material, child pornography, or scanning device or re-encoder be destroyed or forfeited to the state. Not later than the 30th day after the final conviction of a person for an offense involving a prohibited weapon, the court entering the judgment of conviction on its own motion, on the motion of the prosecuting attorney in the case, or on the motion of the law enforcement agency initiating the complaint on notice to the prosecuting attorney in the case if the prosecutor fails to move for the order shall order that the prohibited weapon be destroyed or forfeited to the law enforcement agency that initiated the complaint. If the court fails to enter the order within the time required by this subsection, any magistrate in the county in which the offense occurred may enter the order. Following the final conviction of a person for an offense involving dog fighting or cockfighting, the court entering the judgment of conviction shall order that any dog-fighting or cockfighting equipment be destroyed or forfeited to the state. Destruction of dogs and cocks, if necessary, must be carried out by a veterinarian licensed in this state or, if one is not available, by trained personnel of a humane society or an animal shelter. If forfeited, the court shall order the contraband delivered to the state, any political subdivision of the state, or to any state institution or agency. If gambling proceeds were seized, the court shall order them forfeited to the state and shall transmit them to the grand jury of the county in which they were seized for use in investigating alleged violations of the Penal Code, or to the state, any political subdivision of the state, or to any state institution or agency.

(b) If there is no prosecution or conviction following seizure, the magistrate to whom the return was made shall notify in writing the person found in possession of the alleged gambling device or equipment, altered gambling equipment or gambling paraphernalia, gambling proceeds, prohibited weapon, obscene device or material, child pornography, scanning device or re-encoder, criminal instrument, or dog-fighting or cockfighting equipment to show cause why the property seized should not be destroyed or the proceeds forfeited. The magistrate, on the motion of the law enforcement agency seizing a prohibited weapon, shall order the weapon destroyed or forfeited to the law enforcement agency seizing the weapon, unless a person shows cause as to why the prohibited weapon should not be destroyed or forfeited. A law enforcement agency shall make a motion under this section in a timely manner after the time at which the agency is informed in writing by the attorney representing the state that no prosecution will arise from the seizure.

(e) Any person interested in the alleged gambling device or equipment, altered gambling equipment or gambling paraphernalia, gambling proceeds, prohibited weapon, obscene device or material, child pornography, scanning device or re-encoder, criminal instrument, or dog-fighting or cockfighting equipment seized must appear before the magistrate on the 20th day following the date the notice was mailed or posted. Failure to timely appear forfeits any interest the person may have in the property or proceeds seized, and no person after failing to timely appear may contest destruction or forfeiture.

(f) If a person timely appears to show cause why the property or proceeds should not be destroyed or forfeited, the magistrate shall conduct a hearing on the issue and determine the nature of property or proceeds and the person's interest therein. Unless the person proves by a preponderance of the evidence that the property or proceeds is not gambling equipment, altered gambling equipment, gambling paraphernalia, gambling device, gambling proceeds, prohibited weapon, obscene device or material, child pornography, criminal instrument, scanning device or re-encoder, or dog-fighting or cockfighting equipment and that he is entitled to possession, the magistrate shall dispose of the property or proceeds in accordance with Paragraph (a) of this article.

(g) For purposes of this article:

(1) "criminal instrument" has the meaning defined in the Penal Code;

(2) "gambling device or equipment, altered gambling equipment or gambling paraphernalia" has the meaning defined in the Penal Code;

(3) "prohibited weapon" has the meaning defined in the Penal Code;

(4) "dog-fighting equipment" means:

(A) equipment used for training or handling a fighting dog, including a harness, treadmill, cage, decoy, pen, house for keeping a fighting dog, feeding apparatus, or training pen;

(B) equipment used for transporting a fighting dog, including any automobile, or other vehicle, and its appurtenances which are intended to be used as a vehicle for transporting a fighting dog;

(C) equipment used to promote or advertise an exhibition of dog fighting, including a printing press or similar equipment, paper, ink, or photography equipment; or

(D) a dog trained, being trained, or intended to be used to fight with another dog;

(4-a) "cockfighting equipment" means:

(A) equipment used for training or handling a fighting cock, including a cage, decoy, gaff, slasher, pen, house for keeping a fighting cock, feeding apparatus, or training pen;

(B) equipment used for transporting a fighting cock, including any automobile or other vehicle and its appurtenances that are intended to be used as a vehicle for transporting a fighting cock;

(C) equipment used to promote or advertise an exhibition of cockfighting, including a printing press or similar equipment, paper, ink, or photography equipment; or

(D) a cock trained, being trained, or intended to be used to fight with another cock;

(4-b) "gaff" and "slasher" have the meanings assigned by Section 42.14, Penal Code;

(5) "obscene device" and "obscene" have the meanings assigned by Section 43.21, Penal Code;

(6) "re-encoder" has the meaning assigned by Section 35.60, Business & Commerce Code;

(7) "scanning device" has the meaning assigned by Section 35.60, Business & Commerce Code; and

(8) "obscene material" and "child pornography" include digital images and the media and equipment on which those images are stored.

SECTION 4. The change in law made by this Act applies only to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act. An offense committed before the effective date of this Act is covered by the law in effect when the offense was committed, and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. For purposes of this section, an offense was committed before the effective date of this Act if any element of the offense was committed before that date.

SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2007.