Latest news with #HouseBill593
CBS News
29-04-2025
- CBS News
"Dangerous dog" bill one step closer to becoming law in Florida
A bill aimed at improving how Florida identifies and regulates dangerous dogs is one step closer to becoming a law. House Bill 593, or The Pam Rock Act, was named after a mail carrier who was mauled to death in Putnam County in 2022. The bill passed unanimously in the Florida Senate on Monday. The measure will now return to the House for a final vote after previous unanimous approval in that chamber. The bill would require that any dog suspected of seriously injuring or killing a person be immediately seized during an investigation. It also mandates that owners of dogs classified as dangerous obtain at least $100,000 in liability insurance. Microchipping dangerous dogs would also become mandatory. Florida representative wants to hold dangerous dog owners accountable The bill was filed by Rep. Judson Sapp who said the bill was brought to him by the Rock family after Pam's death. "This issue is personal to me, and I am committed to ensuring that owners of dangerous dogs are held accountable for their actions," Sapp said. Sapp said the bill will address the rising number of attacks and fatalities caused by dangerous dogs in Florida by clearly defining what constitutes a dangerous dog, establishing a tracking system and providing a process for removal when necessary. At the same time, it includes safeguards to prevent misidentification and protect responsible pet owners. If passed, the bill will go into effect on July 1.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Yahoo
Dangerous dog regulation bill named after Pam Rock gets unanimous FL Senate support
A bill addressing dangerous dogs, prompted by a tragic local case, passed unanimously on the state senate floor Monday. The Pam Rock Act is named after a mail carrier who died in 2022 in Putnam County after being mauled by a pack of five dogs. House The goal of the bill is to prevent any other dangerous dog deaths in the future. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< State Senator Jay Collins is one of the co-sponsors for the bill. He spoke on the Senate floor Monday about what the Pam Rock Act would accomplish. 'What it does simply is raise the bar in terms of punishment,' said FL Senator of District 14, Jay Collins. 'It makes sure that these dogs that attack somebody are held if they cause severe enough damage. It makes sure that we use a specific bite index to grade these bites realistically and methodically.' [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] The act strikes close to home for a Jacksonville native who asked to be identified only as Holly. In 2024, Holly was taking her dog out for a walk in Jacksonville like she normally would, when another dog latched onto her legs. She later found out the dog that attacked her had attacked two other people previously. She believes if the Pam Rock Act had been passed earlier, she may not have been mauled by that dog with a known history of aggression. 'With the dog that had attacked me it was put under quarantine, but it was kept at the house for the two previous cases,' said Holly. 'So then with the Pam Rock Act hopefully if an attack does happen then the dog would be removed from the area.' Read: Dogs that mauled 8-year-old Florida boy to death euthanized, officials say State Senator Chris Wright is the other cosponsor on this legislation. He provided Action News Jax with this statement: 'I was thrilled to see House Bill 593: Dangerous Dogs pass on the Senate Floor today. I am incredibly proud to be a co-sponsor of this critical, life-saving legislation. I want to sincerely thank Senator Collins for originally filing this bill and for his tireless efforts over multiple legislative sessions to see it through. After meeting with the Millett family, who tragically lost their 8-year-old son in a vicious dog attack, it became clear to me that we must do more. We have a responsibility to hold owners accountable and take the necessary steps to better protect our citizens from dangerous animals.' An amendment was added to the bill, meaning that it has to go to the House again for another vote. Read more on the original bill here, which had also proposed creating a dangerous dog registry. Read the revised bill here. If it's not amended further, the legislation will likely head to the Governor's desk to be signed. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Florida House advances bill to create statewide 'dangerous dog' registry
The Brief House Bill 593, also known as the "Pam Rock Act," is moving forward in the Florida Legislature. It would toughen penalties for owners of dangerous dogs and require stricter safety measures. If passed, it would take effect July 1. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - A measure aimed at cracking down on dangerous dogs in Florida is advancing in the state legislature. Big picture view House Bill 593, sponsored by State Rep. Judson Sapp, a Republican representing Florida's 20th district, would toughen penalties for owners of dangerous dogs and require stricter safety measures. The bill, also known as the "Pam Rock Act," passed the House Intergovernmental Affairs Subcommittee on Wednesday and is now headed for the full House. Rock was a 62-year-old mail carrier who was mauled by a pack of dogs in 2022. If signed into law, the bill would require dog owners to buy liability insurance coverage of at least $100,000 if their dog is declared dangerous. It would also mandate that all dangerous dogs be registered in a new, statewide dangerous dog registry maintained by the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. What they're saying "We have no accountability. No real accountability," Rep. Sapp said on Wednesday, becoming visibly emotional while citing a personal experience regarding the issue. "Today we have an increase in dog bites and we have children dying and getting mauled in owners not taking responsibility. This bill goes a long way to address this." Proponents say the registry would make communities safer by allowing the public to see where dangerous dogs are located and who owns them. But opponents argue the bill could lead to breed discrimination and unfairly target certain types of dogs. READ: Here's how much it costs to own a pet in 2025 Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood was in Tallahassee on Wednesday backing the bill. "This isn't about law-abiding citizens and their animals or, you know, compiling some kind of list," Chitwood said. "It's about people just completely disregarding other people's safety, children's safety, and allowing their dogs to roam at large – or allow them to be violent." Local perspective In Hillsborough County, dangerous dog owners are already required to register their animals, provide proof of sterilization and microchipping, and post warning signs at all entrances to their property. The county also requires dog obedience training and regular inspections by animal control to ensure compliance. There are similar ordinances in effect in Pinellas, Polk, Manatee and Sarasota counties. Under the new bill, if a dangerous dog causes serious injury or death, the owner could face felony charges and the dog would be euthanized. The civil penalty for violations would also increase to $1,000. Click to open this PDF in a new window. What's next If passed, the new rules would take effect July 1. Follow FOX 13 on YouTube The Source Information for this story was gathered by FOX 13's Matthew McClellan. STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA: Download the FOX Local app for your smart TV Download FOX Local mobile app: Apple | Android Download the FOX 13 News app for breaking news alerts, latest headlines Download the SkyTower Radar app Sign up for FOX 13's daily newsletter
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Parents of Florida child killed by dogs speak out as dangerous animals bill passes subcommittee
The family of a young boy in Volusia County who was killed in a dog attack are pushing for changes to Florida's dangerous animals laws. 8-twear-old Michael Millett was mauled by a pair of dogs in his neighborhood just north of DeLand in January. On Wednesday, his parents traveled to Tallahassee with Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood to share their story with state lawmakers. It was the first time Tiffani and Michael Millett have spoken publicly about their son's death. House Bill 593, filed by state Rep. Judson Sapp, aims to strengthen Florida's laws regarding dangerous dogs and create stricter penalties for their owners. The bill includes these provisions; Requires dog owners to securely confine dogs with known dangerous propensities Mandates that owners of dangerous dogs obtain at least $100,000 in liability insurance Establishes a statewide dangerous dog registry to be maintained by the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Requires animal control authorities to provide information to the registry Specifies that dogs declared dangerous due to incidents causing severe human injury must be destroyed Increases the maximum fine for violations of the dangerous dog statute to $1,000 The bill is also known as the 'Pam Rock Act.' Rock was mail carrier who was killed by a pack of dogs in Putnam County in August 2022. An identical version of the bill was introduced in the state Senate The bill is currently making its way through the Florida House. If passed, it would take effect on July 1. Michael's family knows getting the law passed will not change their situation, but it could help other families in the future. 'This will help make necessary changes. No one should ever have to go through that,' Michael Millett told the subcommittee. Sapp was visibly emotional as he listened to the testimony. The subcommittee unanimously approved the bill. It will go to three more committees before a House vote. The parents spoke exclusively with WFTV, saying, 'The days do not get easier. The nights do not get easier. Every morning, it's like having to relive it, and now we want justice. It's just constant living in panic mode, never being able to relax, always feeling like you're forgetting something.' When asked about why they felt the need to make the trip to address lawmakers, Michael Millett said, 'Without this bill there will be no justice for another family, and that's why we're so supportive of this bill.' Chitwood organized the family's trip and took them to the Statehouse. This case really impacted the sheriff, and he has repeatedly expressed frustration, saying the dog's owners are not being held accountable under current state law. The dog's owners are under investigation for manslaughter by culpable negligence and owning a dangerous dog. They have not been charged with any crimes at this time. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Florida lawmakers introduce bill to create dangerous dog registry, require liability insurance
A Florida House representative Thursday introduced a new bill to help monitor dangerous dogs and prevent dog attacks. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] House Bill 593, introduced by republican Judson Sapp, would place new requirements on animal control authorities and owners of dogs that have previously attacked, bitten, or 'menacingly' chased a person unprovoked in public. According to the bill, the 'legislature finds that dangerous dogs are an increasingly serious and widespread threat to the safety and welfare of the people of this state.' Read: Action News Jax Investigates finds an increase in aggressive dog attacks An identical version of the bill was introduced in the Senate Monday by Senator Jay Collins (R). He filed a similar bill for the 2024 legislative session. The bill, also known as the 'Pam Rock Act,' is named after a USPS mail carrier, 61-year-old Pamela Rock. She was killed by a pack of 5 dogs while working in Putnam County in August of 2022. Read: PCSO: No charges in case of mail carrier mauled by 5 dogs The dogs escaped and attacked people several times in the past, and the owner had repeatedly tried to surrender them to Animal Control, without success. No charges were ever filed. If the bill becomes law, owners of certain dogs will be required to securely confine them in proper enclosures and obtain 'dangerous dog liability insurance' in case they attack and injure a person, another pet, or livestock. The Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services would also be required to create and maintain a registry of dangerous dogs. The bill also revises current laws, requiring instead of authorizing animal control to take certain actions during investigations: Certain dogs being investigated as dangerous to humans must be immediately confiscated and held pending the investigation's outcome. Dogs classified as dangerous due to having severely injured a human must be humanely euthanized. The bill has gained renewed interest after an 8-year-old boy was killed by two dogs in Volusia County last month. Read: Dogs that mauled 8-year-old Florida boy to death euthanized, officials say Michael Millett, was riding his bike with a friend near DeLand on Jan. 13 when he was brutally attacked and killed, investigators said. Our Orlando station, WFTV, reported this week that Amanda Franco and Brandy Hodil are under investigation for manslaughter by culpable negligence and owning a dangerous dog. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
