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.

Current Bill Version Posted: 3/4/2026 06:14 PM

• Senate Committee References (1)

  1. Rules (RC)

• Related Bills (3)

  Bill Number Subject Filed By Last Action and Location	Relationship Learn more about bill relationships
  S 676 (c1) by Arrington Animal Welfare Last Action: 3/4/2026 S Laid on Table, companion bill(s) passed, see CS/HB 559 (Ch. 2026-78), CS/SB 1004 (Ch. 2026-76) -SJ 547	Identical
  H 1521 (c3) by Industries & Professional Activities Subcommittee Domestic Animals Last Action: 3/9/2026 H Laid on Table; Companion bill(s) passed, see CS/SB 1004 (Ch. 2026-76), CS/HB 559 (Ch. 2026-78)	Compare
  S 1004 (er) by Gaetz Domestic Animals Last Action: 5/13/2026 Chapter No. 2026-76, companion bill(s) passed, see CS/HB 559 (Ch. 2026-78)	Compare

• Citations - Statute (5)

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  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)

• Bill History

  S = Senate, H = House

  12/1/2025	H	• Filed
  12/12/2025	H	• Referred to Criminal Justice Subcommittee • Referred to Justice Budget Subcommittee • Referred to Judiciary Committee • Now in Criminal Justice Subcommittee
  1/13/2026	H	• 1st Reading (Original Filed Version)
  2/3/2026	H	• PCS added to Criminal Justice Subcommittee agenda
  2/5/2026	H	• 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	H	• Referred to Judiciary Committee • Now in Judiciary Committee
  2/13/2026	H	• Added to Judiciary Committee agenda
  2/17/2026	H	• Favorable by Judiciary Committee • Reported out of Judiciary Committee • Bill released to House Calendar • Added to Second Reading Calendar
  2/19/2026	H	• Bill added to Special Order Calendar (2/25/2026)
  2/25/2026	H	• Read 2nd time • Added to Third Reading Calendar • Read 3rd time • CS passed; YEAS 114, NAYS 0
  2/25/2026	S	• In Messages
  2/26/2026	S	• Referred to Rules • Received
  3/4/2026	S	• Withdrawn from Rules -SJ 547 • Placed on Calendar, on 2nd reading • Substituted for CS/SB 676 -SJ 547 • Read 2nd time -SJ 547 • Read 3rd time -SJ 548 • CS passed; YEAS 37 NAYS 0 -SJ 548
  3/4/2026	H	• In Messages • Ordered enrolled
  5/11/2026		• Signed by Officers and presented to Governor
  5/12/2026		• Approved by Governor
  5/13/2026		• Chapter No. 2026-78; Companion bill(s) passed, see CS/SB 1004 (Ch. 2026-76)