A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to provide for the reporting of injuries inflicted on humans by domestic or wild animals.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  Chapter 67 of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new Article to read:
"Article 7.
"Reports of Animal Incidents.
"§ 67‑37.  Reports of incidents involving injuries inflicted on humans by domestic or wild animals.
A person who has suffered a bite, scratch, or other injury directly inflicted by a domestic animal not owned by the person or by a wild animal may notify the appropriate law enforcement agency that such an incident has occurred and that personal injury has resulted. If the incident occurred in a city or town, the appropriate law enforcement agency is the police department of that city or town. If the attack occurred outside a city or town, the appropriate law enforcement agency is either the sheriff's department or any county police department for that county. If the incident results in the death of the person, or if that person is otherwise unable to make the request, a person who witnessed the incident may make the notification.
A law enforcement agency receiving notification under this section shall investigate the incident within 24 hours of receiving the notification and shall make a written report summarizing the incident and describing the injury inflicted on the person by the animal. The law enforcement officer who prepares the written report shall forward it to that officer's law enforcement agency. A report made pursuant to this section may be used in any manner as evidence, or for any other purpose, in any civil or criminal trial, as permitted under the rules of evidence."
SECTION 2.  This act becomes effective October 1, 2015, and applies to incidents occurring on or after that date.