A bill that would make sexual abuse of animals a Class C or Class B felony in Hawaii is scheduled to be heard today in the state House.

Hawaii is one of only four states that doesn’t have a law against bestiality.

Senate Bill 343, introduced by Sen. Mike Gabbard (D, Kapolei-Makakilo), would make it a Class C felony if a person commits bestiality, or has sex with an animal. It would be a Class B felony if a person does it in front of a minor or forces a minor to engage in sexual contact with the animal.

The bill is scheduled for a hearing today before the House Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs Committee. If the bill passes, it will go before the full House.

“Bestiality is banned in 46 states,” Gabbard said. “It’s time for Hawaii to become the 47th.”

If the bill becomes law, a person convicted will have to forfeit their animals, attend a treatment program or obtain psychiatric or psychological counseling at their own expense. It would also prohibit a person from owning animals or working with them.

The bill was urged by the Hawaiian Humane Society because under the current law sexual abuse of an animal is not listed as animal cruelty.

The Honolulu Police Department supported the bill while citing “some concerns about the collection of biological evidence.”

“We recognize that while sexual abuse of animals in not adequately addressed in the cruelty to animals statue, the real concern is the psyche of those who sexually abuse animals,” HPD said in its written testimony.

Stephanie Kendrick, public-policy advocate at the Hawaiian Humane Society, said if the bill passes it will bring these cases to light. She said when Louisiana made bestiality illegal 2018, it saw an increase of cases. She added that there was a 2019 study that linked bestiality and pedophilia.

Kacey Carter, chief veterinarian at the Hawaiian Humane Society, said he hasn’t seen any confirmed cases in Hawaii, but he was suspicious about a stray dog that came to his office a couple of years ago.

“Unfortunately, most of the animals that come to our shelter have no history,” Carter said. “So I don’t even know when humans were around that dog.”