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 5th day of June, 2007.

	_____________________________________
		 Beverly E. Perdue
	 President of the Senate

	_____________________________________
		 Joe Hackney
	 Speaker of the House of Representatives

	_____________________________________
		 Michael F. Easley
	 Governor

Approved __________.m. this ______________ day of ___________________, 2007