CS/HB 559: Animal Welfare
GENERAL BILL by Criminal Justice Subcommittee ; Chaney ; López, J. ; (CO-INTRODUCERS) Bartleman ; Basabe ; Cross ; Hunschofsky ; Mooney ; Plasencia ; Valdés ; Weinberger
Animal Welfare; Creating the offense of causing or enticing a minor to commit, or in the presence of a minor committing, animal cruelty; requiring a court to order a minor who commits specified acts of animal cruelty to undergo a psychological evaluation and receive counseling and treatment for a specified time period; requiring the minor's parent or guardian or the state to pay the cost of such evaluation, counseling, and treatment; providing an exception; authorizing the court to hold the parent or guardian in contempt under certain circumstances; requiring the Department of Law Enforcement to post on its website specified information relating to each individual convicted of specified animal cruelty offenses; specifying time periods for which the information shall be posted; requiring the department to develop a procedure to allow a person to petition for the removal of his or her information under specified circumstances; requiring the department to remove specified information under specified circumstances; specifying the time period within which such information must be removed; authorizing the department to adopt rules; requiring clerks of court and county detention facilities to provide the Department of Law Enforcement with specified information, data, and images; creating the offense of causing or enticing a minor to commit, or in the presence of a minor committing, fighting or baiting animals; creating the offense of causing or enticing a minor to commit, or in the presence of a minor committing, sexual activities involving animals; increasing the maximum civil penalty for specified violations of ordinances relating to animal control or cruelty; increasing the level on the offense severity ranking chart for fighting or baiting animals; ranking offenses created by the act on the offense severity ranking chart, etc.
- Rules (RC)
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 |
| 2/17/2026 | House |
• Favorable by Judiciary Committee • Reported out of Judiciary Committee • Bill released to House Calendar • Added to Second Reading Calendar |
| 2/19/2026 | House |
• Bill added to Special Order Calendar (2/25/2026) |
| 2/25/2026 | House |
• Read 2nd time • Added to Third Reading Calendar • Read 3rd time • CS passed; YEAS 114, NAYS 0 |
| 2/25/2026 | Senate |
• In Messages |
| 2/26/2026 | Senate |
• Referred to Rules • Received |
| 3/4/2026 | Senate |
• Withdrawn from Rules -SJ 547 • Placed on Calendar, on 2nd reading • Substituted for CS/SB 676 -SJ 548 • Read 2nd time -SJ 548 • Read 3rd time -SJ 548 • CS passed; YEAS 37 NAYS 0 -SJ 548 |
| 3/4/2026 | House |
• In Messages • Ordered enrolled |
