By Trish Svoboda

Kansas lawmakers have approved a bill to increase penalties for harming police animals, in response to an incident where a police dog was strangled last year. The bill, which passed the state House with a 115-6 vote and the Senate with a 25-15 margin, proposes a prison sentence of over three years for first-time offenders who kill a police animal, with the penalty increasing to up to five years if the killing occurs while evading law enforcement.

The bill also includes a potential fine of $10,000. This is a significant increase from the current law, which only provides for a maximum of one year in jail and a fine of $500 to $5,000. The bill is now awaiting the signature of Governor Laura Kelly. Similar measures have been passed or are being considered in several other states across the U.S.