| Summary |
Section 1 of the bill establishes the crime of unlawful equine
slaughter. A person engages in unlawful equine slaughter if the person:
•
Slaughters an equine when the person knows or reasonably
should know that any part of the equine will be used for
human consumption;
•
Possesses, imports into the state, exports from the state,
buys, sells, gives away, or accepts an equine with the intent
of killing, or having another person kill, the equine if the
person knows or reasonably should know that any part of
the equine will be used for human consumption; or
•
Possesses, imports into the state, exports from the state,
buys, sells, gives away, or accepts equine meat if the
person knows or reasonably should know that the meat will
be used for human consumption.
Section 1 provides a safe harbor to the offense for equine
slaughtered for use by a facility in feeding predators housed at the facility.
Each equine that is unlawfully slaughtered and each 100 pounds
of equine meat derived from unlawful slaughter is a separate offense. A
first violation is a class 1 misdemeanor with a mandatory minimum fine
of $1,000, and a second or subsequent violation within a 10-year period
is a class 5 felony with a mandatory minimum fine of $5,000. If a person
obtains the equine by fraud and commits unlawful equine slaughter, it is
a class 4 felony with a mandatory minimum fine of $10,000. In addition,
a person that commits unlawful equine slaughter is forever prohibited
from owning, possessing, or caring for an equine and from participating
in a public livestock market for 3 to 5 years.
Sections 2 and 3 require notice of the crime of unlawful equine
slaughter to be given at livestock auctions and on bills of sale.
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