2025 25LSO-0140
STATE OF WYOMING Working Draft
0.7
DRAFT ONLY
NOT APPROVED FOR
INTRODUCTION
HOUSE BILL NO.
Animal abuse-predatory animals.
Sponsored by: Representative(s) Storer
A BILL
for
1 AN ACT relating to crimes and offenses; providing for a new
2 criminal offense of cruelty to animals; increasing the
3 maximum fine for a misdemeanor first offense cruelty to
4 animals conviction; authorizing game and fish law
5 enforcement to enforce the criminal provisions of cruelty
6 to animals; specifying applicability; and providing for an
7 effective date.
8
9 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:
10
11 Section 1. W.S. 6-3-1002 by creating new subsections
12 (b), 6-3-1004(a) and 6-3-1010 by creating a new subsection
13 (b) are amended to read:
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2025 STATE OF WYOMING 25LSO-0140
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1
2 6-3-1002. Cruelty to animals.
3
4 (b) Any person who intentionally injures or disables
5 a predatory animal as defined by W.S. 23-1-101(a)(viii) by
6 use of an automotive vehicle, motor-propelled wheeled
7 vehicle, or vehicle designed for travel over snow shall
8 upon inflicting the injury or disability immediately use
9 all reasonable efforts to kill the injured or disabled
10 predatory animal. Any person who fails to immediately use
11 all reasonable efforts to kill an injured or disabled
12 predatory animal as required by this subsection commits
13 cruelty to animals.
14
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17 STAFF COMMENT
18
19 The newly created subsection (b), above, uses the language
20 for "automotive vehicle, motor-propelled wheeled vehicle,
21 or vehicle designed for travel over snow" from W.S. 23-3-
22 306(a), which is the only place in statute where that
23 language is used. The Committee may wish to consider
24 whether the terms need defined. "Vehicle" is defined under
25 W.S. 6-1-104(a)(xi) as "any device by which persons or
26 property may be moved, carried or transported over land,
27 water or air". Alternatively "motor vehicle" is defined
28 under W.S. 31-1-101(a)(xv) which includes "off-road
29 recreational vehicle". The definition is as follows:
30
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1 (a) Except as otherwise provided, as used in this
2 act:
3
4 (xv) "Motor vehicle" means every vehicle which
5 is self-propelled except vehicles moved solely by human
6 power, electric bicycles or motorized skateboards. The
7 term includes the following vehicles as hereafter defined:
8
9 (K) "Off-road recreational vehicle" means:
10
11 (I) A recreational vehicle primarily
12 designed for off-road use that is fifty (50) inches or less
13 in width measured from the outside of one (1) tire rim to
14 the outside of the opposite tire rim and that has an
15 unladen weight of one thousand one hundred (1,100) pounds
16 or less;
17
18 (II) Any motorcycle not required by
19 law to be licensed that has an unladen weight of six
20 hundred (600) pounds or less, is designed to be ridden off-
21 road with the operator astride upon a seat or saddle and
22 travels on two (2) tires; and
23
24 (III) Any multi-wheeled motorized
25 vehicle not required by law to be licensed and is designed
26 for cross-country travel on or over land, sand, snow, ice
27 or other natural terrain and which has an unladen weight of
28 more than nine hundred (900) pounds.
29
30 Additionally, "snowmobile" is defined under W.S. 32—2-
31 401(a)(ii) as "any mechanically driven vehicle of a type
32 which utilizes sled type runners, or skis, or any endless
33 belt tread or combination of these, designed primarily for
34 operation over snow".
35
36 The Committee may also wish to consider providing
37 definitions for other terms in the newly created subsection
38 (b) on the previous page for clarity in the criminal
39 statute. Notably, the Committee may wish to consider if the
40 term "use all reasonable efforts" should be further
41 defined.
42
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45
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1 6-3-1004. Penalties; misdemeanor offenses.
2
3 (a) A first offense of cruelty to animals or of a
4 violation of W.S. 6-3-1003 is a misdemeanor punishable by
5 imprisonment for not more than six (6) months, a fine of
6 not more than seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00)one
7 thousand dollars ($1,000.00), or both.
8
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11 STAFF COMMENT
12
13 The Treatment of Predators Working Group considered an
14 amendment to W.S. 6-3-1008(a)(vii) to include the term
15 "humane" as follows:
16
17 6-3-1008. Use of agricultural and livestock
18 management practices, wildlife management and humane
19 destruction not prohibited.
20
21 (a) Nothing in this article may be construed to
22 prohibit:
23
24 (vii) The hunting, capture, killing or
25 destruction of any predatory animal, pest or other wildlife
26 in any humane manner not otherwise prohibited by law.
27
28 The Working Group removed this amendment but asked for
29 further consideration of a different term to be used in
30 lieu of "humane". As a note, "humane" is defined by the
31 Webster-Merriam Dictionary as "marked by compassion,
32 sympathy, or consideration".
33
34 Within statute, there are a few different terms that are
35 used to describe the manner in which conduct shall take
36 place such as "safe" or "reasonable". The Committee may
37 wish to consider whether to include the amendment to W.S.
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1 6-3-1008(a)(vii) and what term should be used to define the
2 manner in which a person may hunt, capture, kill or destroy
3 a predatory animal.
4
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7
8 6-3-1010. Impounding and forfeiture hearing;
9 enforcement.
10
11 (b) In addition to any other peace officer with
12 authority to enforce this article, game and fish law
13 enforcement personnel qualified pursuant to W.S. 9-1-701
14 through 9-1-707 are authorized to enforce the provisions of
15 this article.
16
17 Section 2. This act shall apply to any person who
18 intentionally injures or disables a predatory animal by use
19 of an automotive vehicle, motor-propelled wheeled vehicle,
20 or vehicle designed for travel over snow on and after July
21 1, 2025.
22
23 Section 3. This act is effective July 1, 2025.
24
25 (END)
5 [Bill Number]
Statutes affected: 25LSO-0140 v0.7: 6-3-1002, 6-3-1004, 6-3-1010