SB261
Cruelty to animals; malicious killing of a dog or cat, penalty.
Status:
In House
Latest Action:
March 9, 2026
House: Rereferred to Appropriations
Chief Patron:
Bill Stanley (R)
Session:
2026 Regular Session
Summary
As Introduced. Cruelty to animals; malicious killing of a dog or cat; penalty.
Creates, under the animal cruelty provisions, a Class 6 felony for any person who maliciously kills any dog or cat that is a companion animal whether belonging to him or another. Currently, such felony applies only to a person who (i) tortures, willfully inflicts inhumane injury or pain not connected ... (More) with bona fide scientific or medical experimentation, or cruelly and unnecessarily beats, maims, or mutilates any dog or cat that is a companion animal whether belonging to him or another and (ii) as a direct result causes serious bodily injury to such dog or cat that is a companion animal, the death of such dog or cat that is a companion animal, or the euthanasia of such animal on the recommendation of a licensed veterinarian upon determination that such euthanasia was necessary due to the condition of the animal. (Less)-
Bill History
- 01/12/2026 - Senate: Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26101240D
- 01/12/2026 - Senate: Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources
- 01/14/2026 - Senate: Fiscal Impact statement From VCSC (1/14/2026 6:34 pm)
- 01/20/2026 - Senate: Assigned HACNR sub: Companion Animals
- 01/23/2026 - Senate: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB261)
- 01/27/2026 - Senate: Reported from Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (12-Y 0-N 1-A)
- 01/27/2026 - Senate: Rereferred to Finance and Appropriations
- 02/04/2026 - Senate: Reported from Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N)
- 02/05/2026 - Senate: Rules suspended
- 02/05/2026 - Senate: Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A)
- 02/05/2026 - Senate: Passed by for the day (Voice Vote)
- 02/06/2026 - Senate: Read second time
- 02/06/2026 - Senate: Engrossed by Senate (Voice Vote)
- 02/09/2026 - Senate: Read third time and passed Senate (40-Y 0-N 0-A)
- 02/12/2026 - House: Placed on Calendar
- 02/12/2026 - House: Read first time
- 02/12/2026 - House: Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice
- 02/18/2026 - House: Assigned HCJ sub: Criminal
- 02/19/2026 - House: Placed on Courts of Justice Agenda
- 02/20/2026 - House: Subcommittee recommends reporting and referring to Appropriations (9-Y 0-N)
- 02/27/2026 - House: Placed on Courts of Justice Agenda
- 03/02/2026 - House: Reported from Courts of Justice and referred to Appropriations (20-Y 2-N)
- 03/02/2026 - House: Referred to Committee on Appropriations
- 03/03/2026 - House: Assigned HAPP sub: Transportation & Public Safety
- 03/04/2026 - House: Placed on Appropriations Agenda
- 03/04/2026 - House: Reported from Appropriations (22-Y 0-N)
- 03/06/2026 - House: Read second time
- 03/09/2026 - House: Motion to rerefer to Appropriations agreed to
- 03/09/2026 - House: Rereferred to Appropriations
