House
Study
Bill
628
-
Introduced
HOUSE
FILE
_____
BY
(PROPOSED
COMMITTEE
ON
AGRICULTURE
BILL
BY
CHAIRPERSON
PAUSTIAN)
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
providing
for
the
possession
of
cats
classified
as
1
bengals
and
savannahs,
and
making
penalties
applicable.
2
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
3
TLSB
6149YC
(4)
89
da/ns
H.F.
_____
Section
1.
Section
717F.1,
subsection
5,
paragraph
b,
1
subparagraph
(2),
Code
2022,
is
amended
to
read
as
follows:
2
(2)
(a)
The
offspring
of
a
domestic
cat
and
another
member
3
of
the
family
felidae
classified
as
a
bengal
with
an
ancestor
4
classified
as
an
Asian
leopard
cat
which
is
a
member
of
the
5
species
prionailurus
bengalensis.
The
bengal
must
be
the
6
fourth
second
or
later
filial
generation
of
offspring
with
the
7
first
filial
generation
being
the
offspring
of
a
domestic
cat
8
and
an
Asian
leopard
cat,
and
each
subsequent
generation
being
9
the
offspring
of
a
domestic
cat.
10
(b)
The
offspring
of
a
domestic
cat
and
another
member
of
11
the
family
felidae
classified
as
a
savannah
with
an
ancestor
12
classified
as
a
serval
which
is
a
member
of
the
species
13
leptailurus
serval.
The
savannah
must
be
the
fourth
second
14
or
later
filial
generation
of
offspring
with
the
first
filial
15
generation
being
the
offspring
of
a
domestic
cat
and
a
serval,
16
and
each
subsequent
generation
being
the
offspring
of
a
17
domestic
cat.
18
EXPLANATION
19
The
inclusion
of
this
explanation
does
not
constitute
agreement
with
20
the
explanation’s
substance
by
the
members
of
the
general
assembly.
21
This
bill
amends
Code
chapter
717F,
which
regulates
owning,
22
possessing,
or
transporting
dangerous
wild
animals
under
the
23
authority
of
the
department
of
agriculture
and
land
stewardship
24
(DALS).
Generally,
the
Code
chapter
prohibits
a
person
from
25
owning
or
possessing
a
dangerous
wild
animal
in
this
state,
or
26
transporting
a
dangerous
wild
animal
into
this
state,
unless
27
the
person
is
licensed
by
the
United
States
department
of
28
agriculture
and
registered
by
DALS.
A
“dangerous
wild
animal”
29
includes
cats
(classified
as
belonging
to
the
family
felidae)
30
other
than
domestic
cats.
The
term
also
includes
the
offspring
31
of
a
dangerous
wild
animal
and
any
subsequent
generation
of
32
offspring.
An
exemption
applies
to
a
cat
classified
as
a
33
bengal,
which
is
a
cross
between
a
domestic
cat
and
an
Asian
34
leopard
cat,
or
classified
as
a
savannah,
which
is
a
cross
35
-1-
LSB
6149YC
(4)
89
da/ns
1/
2
H.F.
_____
between
a
domestic
cat
and
a
serval.
In
both
cases,
there
must
1
be
a
separation
of
four
filial
generations
between
the
Asian
2
leopard
cat
or
serval
and
the
exempted
cat.
The
generations
3
are
calculated
by
counting
from
the
first
filial
generation
4
which
is
the
offspring
of
the
original
crossing.
The
filial
5
generations
are
sometimes
referred
to
as
F-1
through
F-4
to
6
identify
the
first
four
filial
generations
of
offspring.
The
7
current
exemption
applies
to
those
cats
classified
as
F-4
8
(fourth)
or
a
later
filial
generation.
The
bill
changes
that
9
exemption
to
include
bengals
and
savannahs
classified
as
F-2
10
(second)
or
a
later
filial
generation.
11
A
person
owning
or
possessing
a
dangerous
wild
animal
is
12
subject
to
a
civil
penalty
of
up
to
$2,000
(Code
section
13
717F.11)
and
a
person
who
intentionally
causes
a
dangerous
wild
14
animal
to
escape
is
guilty
of
an
aggravated
misdemeanor
(Code
15
section
717F.13).
An
aggravated
misdemeanor
is
punishable
by
16
confinement
for
no
more
than
two
years
and
a
fine
of
at
least
17
$855
but
not
more
than
$8,540.
18
-2-
LSB
6149YC
(4)
89
da/ns
2/
2