Animal abuse: forfeiture.

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Removed a duplicated reference to Penal Code Section 597.5 in the list of applicable animal cruelty offenses in Section 600.9(a)(1).

Corrected garbled text in Section 600.9(b)(2) from 'the notices a notice described in paragraph (3)' to 'a notice described in paragraph (3) shall be' regarding publication on the animal shelter website.

Corrected Section 600.9(c)(4) by removing 'animal control agency' from the list of parties bearing the burden of proof at the forfeiture hearing, leaving only 'the prosecuting attorney or seizing agency.'

Added a new sentence at the end of Section 600.9(b)(3) requiring the seizing agency or prosecution to provide the animal shelter in possession of the animal with any information necessary to comply with the notice requirements (date of seizure, location, description, etc.).

New provision allows animal control agencies to petition courts to forfeit animals to the city, county, or seizing agency 30 days after a defendant fails to appear in court on charges under Sections 286.5, 596, 597, 597a, 597b, 597h, 597j, 597s, 597.1, or 597.5. The prosecuting attorney must file the petition and serve the defendant; if the defendant does not appear or claim interest, the court enters a denial response.

New diversion provision: if a defendant charged with the listed animal abuse offenses is granted diversion, the prosecution may request a court order prohibiting the defendant from owning, possessing, caring for, or residing with animals of any kind, and requiring immediate delivery of all animals in their possession to a designated public entity.

The nonsubstantive amendment to Section 1 of the Government Code (changing how the code is named/cited) was removed from the bill.

Coauthors added: Assembly Members Alanis, Lackey, Nguyen, Ramos, and Schultz joined as coauthors of the bill.

Fiscal committee approval changed from 'no' to 'yes,' and state-mandated local program designation changed from 'no' to 'yes,' indicating the new forfeiture and diversion duties on local prosecutors now trigger these legislative requirements.

New subdivision (a)(2) allows forfeiture just 3 days after a defendant fails to appear in court a second or subsequent time, compared to the previous 30-day wait after a single failure. This dramatically speeds up the process for repeat offenders.

New paragraph (b)(3) specifies what must be included in published forfeiture notices (seizure date, location, animal description, case number, photograph) and explicitly prohibits including the defendant's name or identifying details, protecting defendant privacy.

New paragraph (c)(6) provides that no forfeiture hearing shall be conducted if, after notice of the hearing, the defendant appears in court for the underlying criminal case or is otherwise returned to custody. This prevents forfeiting animals when the defendant has re-entered the process.

The burden of proof at forfeiture hearings was broadened from 'the animal control agency' to 'the prosecuting attorney or seizing agency,' giving more entities the ability to carry the evidentiary burden.

New subdivision (e) explicitly states that nothing in the section precludes an animal control agency, with the consent of the prosecuting attorney, from transferring a seized or impounded animal to an animal foster. This clarifies that temporary foster placement is permitted.

The diversion-related animal restriction provision was removed from Section 600.9 and consolidated solely in Section 600.10, eliminating the previous overlap where both sections contained similar diversion language.

Removed the requirement for persons convicted of felony animal abuse to register with local law enforcement for 10 years, including providing fingerprints, photographs, and personal information to the Department of Justice.

Added a new subsection (d) to Section 600.9 clarifying that the forfeiture remedies do not preclude other civil or criminal remedies, including those under Section 597.1.

Removed the requirement for the Department of Justice to create and maintain a public internet website listing registered animal abuse offenders, including their names, photos, addresses, and criminal history, with a deadline of January 1, 2028.

Removed criminal penalties for misuse of registry information (fines of $10,000 to $50,000 for using website data to commit a crime), civil liability provisions (up to $25,000 in damages), and the misdemeanor penalty for a registered offender accessing the website.

Removed the $500 fine per felony animal abuse conviction and the creation of the Animal Protection Fund in the State Treasury, which would have funded the website and local spay/neuter programs.

Removed the Attorney General's duty to develop public education strategies about registered animal abuse offenders, including hotlines and neighborhood guidelines.

The diversion animal restriction provision was moved from a subsection of Section 600.9 to its own standalone Section 600.10, and the language was clarified to specify the prohibition applies 'throughout the period of diversion' rather than being open-ended.

The bill's scope expanded from a single nonsubstantive Government Code correction to a multi-section Penal Code addition covering animal abuse offender registration, public website disclosure, and funding.

New Section 600.9 requires any person over 18 convicted of felony animal abuse (Sections 597, 597b, 597.5, or 600 of the Penal Code, or comparable out-of-state offenses) to register with local law enforcement for 10 years from conviction. Registration includes name, aliases, date of birth, address, employer, conviction details, fingerprints, photograph, and description of distinguishing features.

The Department of Justice must make a public internet website listing registered animal abuse offenders operational by January 1, 2028. The public notification provisions apply to convictions on or after January 1, 2027.

Violating registration requirements is a misdemeanor. Willful failure to register carries a sentence of not less than 90 days and not more than one year in county jail plus at least one year of probation. Using website information to commit a crime carries a fine of $10,000 to $50,000. A registered offender who enters the website faces up to $1,000 fine and six months in county jail.

New Section 600.11 imposes a $500 fine per felony animal abuse conviction and creates the Animal Protection Fund in the State Treasury. Funds are available upon legislative appropriation for DOJ website operations and local government spay and neuter programs, with no more than 3 percent usable for administrative costs.

Fiscal committee approval changed from 'no' to 'yes' and state-mandated local program changed from 'no' to 'yes,' reflecting the new duties imposed on local law enforcement agencies for registration processing and data forwarding to DOJ.

The registration requirement applies to persons over 18 convicted of felony animal abuse as defined in Section 600.9(a), which includes convictions under Penal Code Sections 597, 597b, 597.5, or 600, attempts to commit those offenses, or comparable felony offenses in another state.

New Section 600.10 prohibits use of website information for health insurance, insurance, loans, credit, employment, education, housing, or business services. Violators face civil liability including actual damages up to three times the amount, minimum $250, attorney's fees, and civil penalties up to $25,000.