The State Senate today voted 33-2 to approve SB 156, a bill by Senator Nell Soto (D – Pomona) to increase penalties for illegal cockfighting.

Under existing law, cockfighting is a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in county jail and/or a fine of $5,000. A second or subsequent violation is also a misdemeanor, with a penalty of up to one year in county jail and/or a fine up to $25,000. The same penalties apply to people who own or train birds for illegal cockfights.

SB 156 maintains the current penalties for first violations, but enhances the status of second or subsequent violations to either misdemeanors or felonies, with a penalty of imprisonment in county jail for up to a year, or in state prison for 16 months, two years or three years, and/or a fine of up to $25,000. Soto’s bill would also increase the penalties for owners or trainers of fighting birds.

"Cockfighting is an unacceptable form of animal cruelty that is widely practiced even though it is illegal in almost all jurisdictions,” Soto noted. “Cockfighting is illegal in 48 states and in 31 of those states and the District of Columbia, cockfighting is a felony crime.

"In 2003, we passed legislation that increased the penalties for engaging in this cruel and inhumane activity, but unfortunately, California's anti-cockfighting law still lags behind our neighboring states,” Soto added. “Arizona, Nevada and Oregon have established 

felony-level penalties for cockfighting, making California, with its simple misdemeanor-level cockfighting penalties, a regional refuge for illegal cockfighting activity.

"There is an undeniable connection between cockfighting and other significant issues such as illegal gambling, drug trafficking, violence toward people and, as evidenced by the outbreak of Exotic Newcastle Disease in 2002, the spread of deadly and devastating diseases,” Soto said. "To discourage cockfighters from other states coming to California, and them from breaking the law, this bill will adopt felony-level penalties for specified second and subsequent violations of California's cockfighting.