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*hb0563*
HOUSE BILL 563
E1 (6lr0899)
ENROLLED BILL
— Judiciary/Judicial Proceedings —
Introduced by Delegates Behler and Cardin, Cardin, Valentine, Phillips, Stinnett,
Simmons, McComas, Moreno, Arikan, Mangione, Moon, Conaway, and
Woods
Read and Examined by Proofreaders:
_______________________________________________
Proofreader.
_______________________________________________
Proofreader.
Sealed with the Great Seal and presented to the Governor, for his approval this
_______ day of _______________ at ________________________ o’clock, ________M.
______________________________________________
Speaker.
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Criminal Law – Emergency Response Animal – Prohibited Actions Against 2
FOR the purpose of repealing the prohibition against intentionally inflicting bodily harm, 3
permanent disability, or death on an animal owned or used by a law enforc ement 4
unit; prohibiting a person from harassing, interfering with, injuring, or killing or 5
causing serious physical injury to an emergency response animal; and generally 6
relating to law enforcement animals. 7
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 8
Article – Criminal Law 9
Section 10–606 10
Annotated Code of Maryland 11
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 12
2 HOUSE BILL 563
BY adding to 1
Article – Criminal Law 2
Section 10–606.1 3
Annotated Code of Maryland 4
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 5
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 6
Article – Criminal Procedure 7
Section 10–101(a) and (g) 8
Annotated Code of Maryland 9
(2025 Replacement Volume) 10
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 11
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 12
Article – Criminal Law 13
10–606. 14
(a) (1) In this section, “sexual contact with an animal” means any act: 15
(i) involving: 16
1. a person touching the sex organ or anus of an animal; 17
2. contact between: 18
A. the sex organ or anus of a person and the mouth, sex 19
organ, or anus of an animal; or 20
B. the sex organ or anus of an animal, and the mouth, sex 21
organ, or anus of a person; or 22
3. insertion of: 23
A. any part of the body of a person into the opening of the 24
vagina or anus of an animal; 25
B. any part of an animal’s body into the opening of the vagina 26
or anus of a person; or 27
C. any object into the opening of the vagina or anus of an 28
animal; and 29
(ii) committed for the purpose of sexual arousal, sexual gratification, 30
abuse, or financial gain. 31
HOUSE BILL 563 3
(2) “Sexual contact with an animal” does not include: 1
(i) an accepted veterinary practice; 2
(ii) artificial insemination of an animal for reproductive purposes; 3
(iii) accepted animal husbandry practices, including: 4
1. grooming; 5
2. raising; 6
3. breeding; 7
4. assisting with the birthing process; or 8
5. any other activity that provides care for an animal; or 9
(iv) generally accepted practices relating to the judging of breed 10
confirmation. 11
(b) A person may not: 12
(1) intentionally: 13
(i) mutilate an animal; 14
(ii) torture an animal; 15
(iii) cruelly beat an animal; 16
(iv) cruelly kill an animal; or 17
(v) engage in sexual contact with an animal; OR 18
(2) cause, procure, or authorize an act prohibited under item (1) of this 19
subsection[; or 20
(3) except in the case of self –defense, intentionally inflict bodily harm, 21
permanent disability, or death on an animal owned or used by a law enforcement unit]. 22
(c) (1) A person who violates this s ection is guilty of the felony of aggravated 23
cruelty to animals and on conviction is subject to imprisonment not exceeding 3 years or a 24
fine not exceeding $5,000 or both. 25
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(2) As a condition of sentencing, the court may: 1
(i) order a defendant convicted of violating this section to: 2
1. participate in and pay for psychological counseling; and 3
2. pay, in addition to any other fines and costs, all reasonable 4
costs incurred in removing, housing, treating, or euthanizing an animal confiscated from 5
the defendant; and 6
(ii) prohibit a defendant from owning, possessing, or residing with 7
an animal for a specified period of time. 8
10–606.1. 9
(A) (1) IN THIS SECTION THE F OLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 10
INDICATED. 11
(2) “EMERGENCY RESPONSE ANIMAL” MEANS: 12
(I) A DOG USED BY A LAW ENFORCEMENT UNIT IN THE STATE 13
THAT IS TRAINED FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT WORK AND IS SUBJECT TO THE CONTROL 14
OF A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER WHO HAS COMP LETED HANDLER TRAINI NG IN 15
ACCORDANCE WITH THE POLICIES OF THE LAW ENFORCEMENT UNIT THAT EMPLOYS 16
THE OFFICER; 17
(II) A HORSE USED BY A LAW ENFORCEMENT UNIT IN THE STATE 18
FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT WORK; OR OR 19
(III) A SEARCH AND RESCUE DOG TRAINED FOR OR ENGAGED IN 20
AN EFFORT DIRECTED B Y A STATE AGENCY OR A POL ITICAL SUBDIVISION OF THE 21
STATE TO LOCATE OR RESCUE A LOST, INJURED, OR DECEASED INDIVIDUAL; OR 22
(IV) A HORSE USED IN A SEARCH AND RESCUE EFFORT DIRECTED 23
BY A STATE AGENCY OR A POL ITICAL SUBDIVISION O F THE STATE TO LOCATE OR 24
RESCUE A LOST, INJURED, OR DECEASED INDIVIDUAL. 25
(3) “LAW ENFORCEMENT UNIT ” HAS THE MEANING STAT ED IN § 26
10–101 OF THE CRIMINAL PROCEDURE ARTICLE; OR 27
(IV) A HORSE USED IN A SE ARCH AND RESCUE EFFO RT 28
DIRECTED BY A STATE AGENCY OR A POL ITICAL SUBDIVISION O F THE STATE TO 29
LOCATE OR RESCUE A LOST, INJURED, OR DECEASED INDIVIDUAL. 30
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(3) “LAW ENFORCEMENT UNIT ” HAS THE MEANING STAT ED IN § 1
10–101 OF THE CRIMINAL PROCEDURE ARTICLE. 2
(3) (4) “SERIOUS PHYSICAL INJU RY” MEANS PHYSICAL INJUR Y 3
THAT CAUSES PERMANENT OR PROTRACTED: 4
(I) DISFIGUREMENT; 5
(II) LOSS OF THE FUNCTION OF A NY BODILY MEMBER OR 6
ORGAN; OR 7
(III) IMPAIRMENT OF THE FU NCTION OF ANY BODILY MEMBER 8
OR ORGAN. 9
(B) (1) (1) A EXCEPT IN THE CASE OF SELF–DEFENSE, A A PERSON MAY 10
NOT: 11
(1) INTENTIONALLY HARASS OR INTERFERE WITH AN EMERGENCY 12
RESPONSE ANIMAL DURI NG THE LAWFUL PERFOR MANCE OF THE EMERGEN CY 13
RESPONSE ANIMAL’S DUTIES.;. 14
(2) A PERSON MAY NOT A PERSON MAY NOT INTENTIONALLY INJURE 15
AN EMERGENCY RESPONSE ANIMAL.;. 16
(3) A PERSON MAY NOT A PERSON MAY NOT VIOLATE PARAGRAPH 17
ITEM PARAGRAPH (1) OR (2) OF THIS SUBSECTION D URING THE COMMISSION OF A 18
CRIME.; OR. 19
(4) A PERSON MAY NOT A PERSON MAY NOT INTENTIONALLY KILL OR 20
CAUSE SERIOUS PHYSICAL INJURY TO AN EMERGENCY RESPONSE ANIMAL. 21
(C) (1) A PERSON WHO VIOLATES SUBSECTION (B)(1) OR (2) OF THIS 22
SECTION IS GUILTY OF A MISDEMEANOR AND ON CONVICTION IS SUBJEC T TO 23
IMPRISONMENT NOT EXC EEDING 1 YEAR OR A FINE NOT E XCEEDING $5,000 OR 24
BOTH. 25
(2) A PERSON WHO VIOLATES SUBSECTION (B)(3) OR (4) OF THIS 26
SECTION IS GUILTY OF A MISDEMEANOR AND ON CONVICTION IS SUBJEC T TO 27
IMPRISONMENT NOT EXC EEDING 2 YEARS OR A FINE NOT EXCEEDING $15,000 28
$10,000 OR BOTH. 29
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(3) A PERSON WHO VIOLATES SUBSECTION (B)(4) OF THIS SECTION IS 1
GUILTY OF A MISDEMEA NOR AND ON CONVICTION IS SUBJEC T TO IMPRISONMENT 2
NOT EXCEEDING 5 YEARS OR A FINE NOT EXCEEDING $10,000 OR BOTH. 3
(D) A SENTENCE IMPOSED UND ER THIS SECTION MAY BE IMPOSED 4
SEPARATE FROM AND CO NSECUTIVE TO OR CONC URRENT WITH A SENTEN CE FOR 5
ANY CRIME BASED ON THE ACT ESTABLISHING THE VIOLATION OF THIS SECTION. 6
(E) (D) (1) NOTHING IN THIS SECTION PROHIBITS A DEFENDANT FROM 7
ASSERTING THE DEFENS E OF NECESSITY OR SELF –DEFENSE TO A CHARGE OF 8
VIOLATING THIS SECTION. 9
(2) IT IS AN AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSE TO A CHARGE OF VIOLATING THIS 10
SECTION THAT THE DEFENDANT ACTED REASONABLY TO PREVENT PHYSICAL HARM 11
RESULTING FROM A VIOLATION OF THE MARYLAND USE OF FORCE STATUTE UNDER 12
§ 3–524 OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY ARTICLE. 13
Article – Criminal Procedure 14
10–101. 15
(a) In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated. 16
(g) “Law enforcement unit” means a State, county, or municipal police 17
department or unit, the office of a sheriff, the office of a State’s Attorney, the Office of the 18
State Prosecutor, or the Office of the Attorney General of the State. 19
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 20
October 1, 2026. 21
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.