A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to create the North Carolina Animal Abuser Registration act.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  This act shall be known and may be cited as the "North Carolina Animal Abuser Registration Act."
SECTION 2.  Chapter 14 of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new Article to read:
"Article 47A.
"Animal Abuser Registry.
"§ 14‑363.5.  Definitions.
The following definitions apply in this Article:
(1)	Abuser or animal abuser. – A person who has been convicted in this State of committing an animal abuse offense.
(2)	Animal. – A companion animal, but not livestock, as defined in G.S. 106‑418.8, or wildlife, as defined in G.S. 113‑129.
(3)	Animal abuse offense. – A felony violation of Article 47 of Chapter 14 of the General Statutes.
(4)	Bureau. – The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation.
(5)	Companion animal. – Any domestic dog (Canis familiaris) or domestic cat (Felis domestica).
(6)	Conviction. – A judgment entered by a North Carolina court upon a plea of guilty, a plea of nolo contendere, or a finding of guilt by a jury or the court, notwithstanding any pending appeal or habeas corpus proceeding arising from the judgment.
"§ 14‑363.6.  Animal Abuser Registry.
(a)	Beginning January 1, 2020, the Bureau shall post a publicly accessible list on its Internet Web site of any person convicted of an animal abuse offense on and after that date. The list shall include a photograph taken of the convicted animal abuser as part of the booking process, the animal abuser's full legal name, and other identifying data as the Bureau determines is necessary to properly identify the animal abuser and to exclude innocent persons. The list shall not include the abuser's Social Security number, drivers license number, or any other State or federal identification number.
(b)	The clerks of court shall forward a copy of the judgment and date of birth of all persons convicted of an animal abuse offense to the Bureau within 60 calendar days of the date of judgment.
(c)	Upon a person's first conviction for an animal abuse offense, the Bureau shall maintain the person's name and other identifying information, described in subsection (a) of this section, for two years following the date of conviction, after which time the Bureau shall remove the person's name and identifying information from the list; provided that the person is not convicted of another animal abuse offense during that two‑year period.
(d)	Upon a person's subsequent conviction for an animal abuse offense, the Bureau shall maintain the person's name and other identifying information, described in subsection (a) of this section, for five years following the date of the most recent conviction, after which time the Bureau shall remove the person's name and identifying information from the list; provided that the person is not convicted of another animal abuse offense during that five‑year period.
(e)	The Bureau shall remove a person's name and identifying information from the registry list if the sole offense for which the person is required to be subject to the mandates of the registry is expunged."
SECTION 3.  This act becomes effective January 1, 2020.