CS/HB 559: Animal Welfare
GENERAL BILL by Criminal Justice Subcommittee ; Chaney ; López, J. ; (CO-INTRODUCERS) Bartleman ; Weinberger
Animal Welfare; Creates offense of causing or enticing minor to commit, or in presence of minor committing, animal cruelty; requires court order minor who commits specified acts of animal cruelty to undergo psychological evaluation & receive counseling & treatment; requires parent, guardian, or state to pay for evaluation, counseling, & treatment; authorizes court to hold parent or guardian in contempt; requires FDLE to post on website information relating to individuals convicted of specified animal cruelty offenses; specifies time periods for posting information; requires department develop procedure for person to petition for removal of his or her information; requires department remove specified information; specifies time period within which information must be removed; authorizes department to adopt rules; requires clerks of court & county detention facilities to provide FDLE with specified information, data, & images; creates offense of causing or enticing minor to commit, or in presence of minor committing, fighting or baiting animals; creates offense of causing or enticing minor to commit, or in presence of minor committing, sexual activities involving animals; increases maximum civil penalty for specified violations of animal control or cruelty ordinances; increases level on offense severity ranking chart for fighting or baiting animals; ranks offenses on offense severity ranking chart.
Last Action: 2/13/2026 House - Added to Judiciary Committee agenda
Bill Text: PDF
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Bill History
Date Chamber Action 12/1/2025 House • Filed
12/12/2025 House • Referred to Criminal Justice Subcommittee
• Referred to Justice Budget Subcommittee
• Referred to Judiciary Committee
• Now in Criminal Justice Subcommittee
1/13/2026 House • 1st Reading (Original Filed Version)
2/3/2026 House • PCS added to Criminal Justice Subcommittee agenda
2/5/2026 House • Favorable with CS by Criminal Justice Subcommittee
• Reported out of Criminal Justice Subcommittee
• Laid on Table under Rule 7.18(a)
• CS Filed
• 1st Reading (Committee Substitute 1)
2/6/2026 House • Referred to Judiciary Committee
• Now in Judiciary Committee
2/13/2026 House • Added to Judiciary Committee agenda
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CS/HB 559, Committee Substitute 1 (Current Bill Version) Posted 2/5/2026 at 4:51 PM
Bill Text: PDF Analyses: Criminal Justice Subcommittee (Post-Meeting) 2/5/2026 (pdf)
Judiciary Committee (Post-Meeting) 2/14/2026 (pdf)
Related Bills (2)
Bill Number Subject Filed By Relationship Last Action and Location Track Bills S 676 Criminal Offenses Arrington Compare Last Action: 1/21/2026 S Now in Fiscal Policy 
S 1004 (c1) Domestic Animals Gaetz Compare Last Action: 2/12/2026 S Placed on Calendar, on 2nd reading
Citations - Statutes (5)
Citation Catchline Location in Bill Location In Bill Help 828.12 Cruelty to animals. Page 2 (pdf) 828.122 Fighting or baiting animals; offenses; penalties. Page 6 (pdf) 828.126 Sexual activities involving animals. Page 8 (pdf) 828.27 Local animal control or cruelty ordinances; penalty. Page 8 (pdf) 921.0022 Criminal Punishment Code; offense severity ranking chart. Page 10 (pdf) -
HB 559, Original Filed Version Posted 12/1/2025 at 10:55 AM
Bill Text: PDF Analyses: None Related Bills (1)
Bill Number Subject Filed By Relationship Last Action and Location Track Bills S 676 Criminal Offenses Arrington Identical Last Action: 1/21/2026 S Now in Fiscal Policy
Citations - Statutes (10)
Citation Catchline Location in Bill Location In Bill Help 39.201 Required reports of child abuse, abandonment, or neglect, sexual abuse of a child, and juvenile sexual abuse; required reports of death; reports involving a child who has exhibited inappropriate sexual behavior. Page 62 (pdf) 90.4025 Admissibility of paternity determination in certain criminal prosecutions. Page 63 (pdf) 382.356 Protocol for sharing certain birth certificate information. Page 63 (pdf) 409.2355 Programs for prosecution of males over age 21 who commit certain offenses involving girls under age 16. Page 64 (pdf) 742.107 Determining paternity of child with mother under 16 years of age when impregnated. Page 64 (pdf) 827.04 Contributing to the delinquency or dependency of a child; penalty. Page 2 (pdf) 828.12 Cruelty to animals. Page 4 (pdf) 828.122 Fighting or baiting animals; offenses; penalties. Page 5 (pdf) 828.126 Sexual activities involving animals. Page 7 (pdf) 921.0022 Criminal Punishment Code; offense severity ranking chart. Page 8 (pdf)