Legislation that seeks to clarify the state's somewhat murky law that bans sexual contact between people and animals in Louisiana is advancing in the State Capitol.
The Senate on Monday voted 25-10 on Senate Bill 236 to send the proposal to the House for consideration.
Sen. JP Morrell, D-New Orleans, said he brought the bill forward at the request of the Humane Society out of concern over current law not covering some issues the state is facing.
"You can find anything on the internet, unfortunately," Morrell said. "There is a huge market, an unfortunate market, of trafficking animals for sex acts."
Morrell said that there are currently places where people in Louisiana advertise seeking animals for sex acts or offer up their own pets for abuse.
Current law outlaws "crimes against nature" that bans "the unnatural carnal copulation by a human being with another of the same sex or opposite sex or with an animal." The sodomy between consenting adults portion has sense become outdated and is not enforced, but sexual abuse of animals remains linked to the provision.
Morrell's bill would create the specific crime of sexual abuse of an animal. It would not apply to accepted veterinary practices and animal husbandry.
In addition to direct sexual contact, it would also apply to people who traffic animals for sexual purposes, promote or observe others having sexual contact with an animal, permit someone else to have sexual contact with an animal in their home or solicits offers for sexual contact with an animal.
"This is not covered in current law," Morrell said.
Those found guilty of sexually abusing an animal would face fines of up to $2,000 and up to five years in prison. Those who cause serious bodily injury or death while abusing an animal sexually would face fines up to $25,000 and up to 10 years behind bars.
The proposed legislation would also set up a framework for removing animals from the custody of someone convicted of the crime and require that they undergo a psychological evaluation.
Morrell said he is concerned about public safety and studies have shown links between animal abuse and child sex abuse and other violent behaviors.
"The people who do these things abuse children, and they later graduate to murder and other horrific things," he said.
How they voted:
Voting for SB236 (25): Sens. Barrow, Bishop, Boudreaux, Carter, Chabert, Cortez, Erdey, Hewitt, Johns, Lambert, Luneau, Martiny, Milkovich, Mills, Morrell, Morrish, Peacock, Peterson, Price, Smith, G., Smith, J., Tarver, Thompson, Walsworth and Ward.
Against (10): Alario, Allain, Claitor, Donahue, Fannin, Gatti, Long, Mizell, Perry, and Riser.
Not voting (4): Appel, Colomb, LaFleur and White
