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Bill

HB 1992

Adding an additional superior court judge in Whatcom county.

2023-2024 Regular Session Introduced by Mary Fosse and 4 co-sponsors

Requires a certificate of registration for dangerous or vicious dogs, with owner restrictions, penalties, and possible destruction after hearings.

Effective date 6/6/2024.
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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · HB 1992

Summary — HB 1992 (2025) — Dangerous Dogs and Vicious Dogs / Certificate of Registration

Status: Died in committee / Withdrawn by author
Introduced: January 22, 2025
Primary sponsor: Rep. McAlindon

Note on source material: The bill record provided contains mixed and partially truncated material, including a detailed Arkansas-style draft Subchapter concerning dangerous and vicious dogs and an unrelated short Illinois appropriation draft. This summary focuses on the substantive Arkansas-style provisions in the available text and highlights gaps or inconsistencies where the text is incomplete.

Purpose

The bill would create a new statutory subchapter addressing “Dangerous Dogs and Vicious Dogs,” and—per the bill title—would require a certificate of registration for dogs declared dangerous or vicious. The general intent is to define dangerous and vicious dogs, set procedures for investigation and official declaration, prescribe notice and hearing rights, and impose owner restrictions and penalties.

Key provisions (from available text)

  • Adds Subchapter 7 to Arkansas Code Title 14, Chapter 1, establishing definitions and procedures relating to dangerous and vicious dogs.
  • Definitions provided include: “animal control officer,” “bite injury” (puncture, laceration, other skin-piercing trauma; excludes nips/scratches/abrasions), “dangerous dog,” “vicious dog,” “owner,” “law enforcement officer,” “local government,” “reckless dog owner,” and “serious physical injury.”
    • “Dangerous dog” examples: a dog that causes a bite injury but is not vicious; a dog that, while off owner’s property, kills a pet animal (with carve-outs for working hunting/herding/predator-control dogs or when the pet was attacking/tormenting the dog).
    • “Vicious dog”: unprovoked bite/attack causing serious physical injury or death, or a dog otherwise declared vicious.
  • Investigation and declaration:
    • Animal control officers investigate reports and, with probable cause, may declare a dog dangerous or vicious.
    • Basis for declaration may include written complaints by persons willing to testify, dog bite reports, officer-witnessed actions, or other admissible evidence.
  • Required contents of a written declaration (when issued): owner name/address (or statement if unknown), dog description and whereabouts, facts supporting the declaration, restrictions placed on the owner/dog, intended disposition if owner unknown, potential penalties (including destruction of the dog and fines/imprisonment), and notice of right to request a hearing within 15 days.
  • Service and notice rules: methods include regular or certified mail (with specified effective dates), in-person service, posting on property, or publication when owner unknown or cannot be located. Certified-mail refusal triggers publication/posting notice rules.
  • Exclusions from declaration: dogs acting in official law-enforcement/military duties; incidents where the injured person was tormenting/provoking the dog, trespassing, or committing certain offenses; and prohibitions on declarations based solely on breed or perceived breed.
  • “Reckless dog owner” definition for repeat violators (three or more convictions in 24 months) or owners who knew their dog was dangerous/vicious but failed to prevent an unprovoked attack.

Who would be affected

  • Dog owners — especially those whose dogs are declared dangerous or vicious — through registration, restrictions, potential fines, criminal penalties, or destruction orders.
  • Animal control agencies and officers — new investigation, declaration, registration, and enforcement responsibilities.
  • Local governments — potential administrative and enforcement duties and costs.
  • Victims and the public — potential increased clarity and procedural protections related to dangerous/vicious dogs.

Procedural timeline & final status

  • Filed: January 22, 2025
  • Sponsor actions and committee referrals occurred in Feb–Mar 2025 (various committee referrals noted in the record).
  • Reported/actioned in committee in March 2025 (some committee actions noted as Do Pass / Short Debate).
  • Final disposition: bill record shows the bill “Died In Committee” (date recorded April 3, 2025) and also an entry “Withdrawn by Author” (April 10, 2025). Therefore, it did not become law.

Significant omissions / uncertainties

  • The provided text is truncated and does not explicitly include the detailed certificate-of-registration mechanics (application process, required fees, duration, registry maintenance, or penalties for failure to register) despite the bill title asserting a registration requirement.
  • Monetary penalties, fee schedules, or exact enforcement mechanisms are not present in the excerpt.
  • The record contains an unrelated Illinois appropriation snippet (also labeled HB1992) — an apparent data/compilation error. This summary ignores that unrelated material except to note the inconsistency.

If you’d like, I can:
- Produce a redline-style list of likely missing statutory sections (e.g., registration form content, fee and renewals, confinement/muzzle/insurance requirements, appeals process) that commonly accompany dangerous-dog statutes; or
- Draft an amended bill language inserting a certificate-of-registration section consistent with the definitions and procedures shown.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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