A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to make it a Class H felony to willfully kill or attempt to kill a law enforcement or assistance animal and to make it an aggravating circumstance for other criminal offenses that a law enforcement 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 or attempts to kill 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.