The California State Senate unanimously approved Senate bill 1024 Wednesday, which would require convicted animal abusers to undergo mental health assessments, officials said.

State Senator Scott Wilk, R-Santa Clarita, introduced the bill, known as the Animal Cruelty and Violence Intervention Act of 2018, to take the first steps in reducing animal abuse and other mental health related crimes, he said in a statement after the bill passed the California Senate.

Around 90 percent of mass shooting suspects, half of all school shooters and 71 percent of domestic violence offenders had serious animal abuse in their histories, according to studies cited by Wilk.

“I am extremely happy that the Senate saw the value in this important legislation,” Wilk said. “Animal abuse is often the first act of violence committed by a troubled individual and it is typical that the family pet be the target of violence before the wife, the kids, and the community. For that reason, it is imperative that we do something to intervene at that early stage before the victim count rises.”

If the Senate bill becomes law, those convicted of animals abuse must  undergo mandatory mental health assessments and, if deemed beneficial upon evaluation, attend ongoing counseling.

The bill would also add the possibility for  convicted animal abusers to be sentenced to an animal offender education course that is intended  to teach proper techniques for interacting with animals in a positive way.

“This bill will not stop all domestic violence. It won’t bring an end to school shootings or serial murders. It won’t prevent all tragedies perpetrated by offenders who also abuse animals,” Wilk said. “But with SB 1024, we can begin to address underlying causes early and use our criminal justice system as an intervention point to lower the incidence of these horrible plagues on our society and our people.”

SB 1024 is supported by legislative, animal rights and law enforcement leaders including the Animal Legal Defense Fund and Deborah Knaan, the former Los Angeles County prosecutor in charge of animal crimes.

SB 1024 is now headed to the Assembly Public Safety Committee in June for its next hearing. It must pass through committee and a full vote by the California Assembly before being placed on the governor’s desk to be signed into law.

Report a typo or error, email Corrections@hometownstation.com

KHTS FM 98.1 and AM 1220 is Santa Clarita’s only local radio station. KHTS mixes in a combination of news, traffic, sports, and features along with your favorite adult contemporary hits. Santa Clarita news and features are delivered throughout the day over our airwaves, on our website and through a variety of social media platforms. Our KHTS national award-winning daily news briefs are now read daily by 34,000+ residents. A vibrant member of the Santa Clarita community, the KHTS broadcast signal reaches all of the Santa Clarita Valley and parts of the high desert communities located in the Antelope Valley. The station streams its talk shows over the web, reaching a potentially worldwide audience. Follow @KHTSRadio on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.