Bill Commons

VA SB 261

died on adjournment

Cruelty to animals; malicious killing of a dog or cat, penalty.

Virginia · 2026 Regular Session · upper

Description

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 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.

Introduced
2026-01-12
Status date
—
Latest action
2026-03-10 — Left in Appropriations
Bill type
bill
Last updated
—

Sponsors

  • William M. Stanley, Jr.primary

Committees

Not provided by source.

Action timeline

  1. 2026-01-12

    Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26101240D

    filing,introduction

  2. 2026-01-12

    Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources

    referral-committee

  3. 2026-01-14

    Fiscal Impact statement From VCSC (1/14/2026 6:34 pm)

  4. 2026-01-20

    Assigned HACNR sub: Companion Animals

    referral-committee

  5. 2026-01-23

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB261)

  6. 2026-01-27

    Reported from Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (12-Y 0-N 1-A)

    committee-passage

  7. 2026-02-04

    Reported from Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N)

    committee-passage

  8. 2026-02-05

    Rules suspended

  9. 2026-02-05

    Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A)

  10. 2026-02-05

    Passed by for the day (Voice Vote)

  11. 2026-02-06

    Read second time

    reading-2

  12. 2026-02-06

    Engrossed by Senate (Voice Vote)

  13. 2026-02-09

    Read third time and passed Senate (40-Y 0-N 0-A)

    passage,reading-3

  14. 2026-02-12

    Placed on Calendar

  15. 2026-02-12

    Read first time

    reading-1

  16. 2026-02-12

    Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice

    referral-committee

  17. 2026-02-18

    Assigned HCJ sub: Criminal

    referral-committee

  18. 2026-02-20

    Subcommittee recommends reporting and referring to Appropriations (9-Y 0-N)

  19. 2026-03-02

    Reported from Courts of Justice and referred to Appropriations (20-Y 2-N)

    committee-passage

  20. 2026-03-03

    Assigned HAPP sub: Transportation & Public Safety

    referral-committee

  21. 2026-03-04

    Reported from Appropriations (22-Y 0-N)

    committee-passage

  22. 2026-03-06

    Read second time

    reading-2

  23. 2026-03-09

    Motion to rerefer to Appropriations agreed to

  24. 2026-03-09

    Rereferred to Appropriations

    referral-committee

  25. 2026-03-10

    Left in Appropriations

Versions

Documents

Votes

  • Reported from Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources

    2026-01-27 · pass · 12-0

    Member-level votes (15)
    • David W. Marsden: yes
    • Mark D. Obenshain: yes
    • Richard H. Stuart: yes
    • William M. Stanley, Jr.: yes
    • David R. Suetterlein: yes
    • T. Travis Hackworth: not voting
    • Angelia Williams Graves: abstain
    • Russet Perry: yes
    • Stella G. Pekarsky: yes
    • Timmy French: yes
    • Saddam Azlan Salim: yes
    • Tammy Brankley Mulchi: not voting
    • Danica A. Roem: yes
    • Kannan Srinivasan: yes
    • Michael J. Jones: yes

  • Reported from Finance and Appropriations

    2026-02-04 · pass · 15-0

    Member-level votes (15)
    • L. Louise Lucas: yes
    • R. Creigh Deeds: yes
    • Mamie E. Locke: yes
    • David W. Marsden: yes
    • Adam P. Ebbin: yes
    • Ryan T. McDougle: yes
    • Mark D. Obenshain: yes
    • Richard H. Stuart: yes
    • Bryce E. Reeves: yes
    • Barbara A. Favola: yes
    • Scott A. Surovell: yes
    • Jeremy S. McPike: yes
    • Jennifer B. Boysko: yes
    • Todd E. Pillion: yes
    • Aaron R. Rouse: yes

  • Constitutional reading dispensed R

    2026-02-05 · pass · 40-0

    Member-level votes (40)
    • Lashrecse D. Aird: yes
    • Lamont Bagby: yes
    • Jennifer B. Boysko: yes
    • Jennifer D. Carroll Foy: yes
    • Luther Cifers, III: yes
    • Christie New Craig: yes
    • R. Creigh Deeds: yes
    • Bill DeSteph: yes
    • J.D. "Danny" Diggs: yes
    • Tara A. Durant: yes
    • Adam P. Ebbin: yes
    • Barbara A. Favola: yes
    • Timmy French: yes
    • T. Travis Hackworth: yes
    • Christopher T. Head: yes
    • Michael J. Jones: yes
    • Emily M. Jordan: yes
    • Mamie E. Locke: yes
    • L. Louise Lucas: yes
    • David W. Marsden: yes
    • Ryan T. McDougle: yes
    • Jeremy S. McPike: yes
    • Tammy Brankley Mulchi: yes
    • Mark D. Obenshain: yes
    • Mark J. Peake: yes
    • Stella G. Pekarsky: yes
    • Russet Perry: yes
    • Todd E. Pillion: yes
    • Bryce E. Reeves: yes
    • Danica A. Roem: yes
    • Aaron R. Rouse: yes
    • Saddam Azlan Salim: yes
    • Kannan Srinivasan: yes
    • William M. Stanley, Jr.: yes
    • Richard H. Stuart: yes
    • Glen H. Sturtevant, Jr.: yes
    • David R. Suetterlein: yes
    • Scott A. Surovell: yes
    • Schuyler T. VanValkenburg: yes
    • Angelia Williams Graves: yes

  • Passage R

    2026-02-09 · pass · 40-0

    Member-level votes (40)
    • Lashrecse D. Aird: yes
    • Lamont Bagby: yes
    • Jennifer B. Boysko: yes
    • Jennifer D. Carroll Foy: yes
    • Luther Cifers, III: yes
    • Christie New Craig: yes
    • R. Creigh Deeds: yes
    • Bill DeSteph: yes
    • J.D. "Danny" Diggs: yes
    • Tara A. Durant: yes
    • Adam P. Ebbin: yes
    • Barbara A. Favola: yes
    • Timmy French: yes
    • T. Travis Hackworth: yes
    • Christopher T. Head: yes
    • Michael J. Jones: yes
    • Emily M. Jordan: yes
    • Mamie E. Locke: yes
    • L. Louise Lucas: yes
    • David W. Marsden: yes
    • Ryan T. McDougle: yes
    • Jeremy S. McPike: yes
    • Tammy Brankley Mulchi: yes
    • Mark D. Obenshain: yes
    • Mark J. Peake: yes
    • Stella G. Pekarsky: yes
    • Russet Perry: yes
    • Todd E. Pillion: yes
    • Bryce E. Reeves: yes
    • Danica A. Roem: yes
    • Aaron R. Rouse: yes
    • Saddam Azlan Salim: yes
    • Kannan Srinivasan: yes
    • William M. Stanley, Jr.: yes
    • Richard H. Stuart: yes
    • Glen H. Sturtevant, Jr.: yes
    • David R. Suetterlein: yes
    • Scott A. Surovell: yes
    • Schuyler T. VanValkenburg: yes
    • Angelia Williams Graves: yes

  • Subcommittee recommends reporting

    2026-02-20 · pass · 9-0

    Member-level votes (10)
    • Vivian E. Watts: yes
    • Karrie K. Delaney: yes
    • Phil M. Hernandez: yes
    • Rae Cousins: yes
    • Katrina Callsen: not voting
    • Leslie Chambers Mehta: yes
    • Charlie Schmidt: yes
    • Wren M. Williams: yes
    • Will Davis: yes
    • Madison Whittle: yes

  • Reported from Courts of Justice

    2026-03-02 · pass · 20-2

    Member-level votes (22)
    • Patrick A. Hope: yes
    • Michelle Lopes Maldonado: no
    • Vivian E. Watts: yes
    • Marcus B. Simon: no
    • Richard C. "Rip" Sullivan, Jr.: yes
    • Karrie K. Delaney: yes
    • Phil M. Hernandez: yes
    • Rae Cousins: yes
    • Atoosa R. Reaser: yes
    • Katrina Callsen: yes
    • Karen Keys-Gamarra: yes
    • Leslie Chambers Mehta: yes
    • Karen R. "Kacey" Carnegie: yes
    • Virgil Thornton: yes
    • Charlie Schmidt: yes
    • Terry G. Kilgore: yes
    • James A. "Jay" Leftwich: yes
    • Jason S. Ballard: yes
    • Wren M. Williams: yes
    • Will Davis: yes
    • Madison Whittle: yes
    • Justin Pence: yes

  • Reported from Appropriations

    2026-03-04 · pass · 22-0

    Member-level votes (22)
    • Luke E. Torian: yes
    • Betsy B. Carr: yes
    • Delores L. McQuinn: yes
    • Paul E. Krizek: yes
    • C.E. Cliff Hayes, Jr.: yes
    • David A. Reid: yes
    • Rodney T. Willett: yes
    • Briana D. Sewell: yes
    • Alex Q. Askew: yes
    • Charniele L. Herring: yes
    • Marcia S. "Cia" Price: yes
    • Kathy K.L. Tran: yes
    • Shelly A. Simonds: yes
    • Joshua E. Thomas: yes
    • Amy J. Laufer: yes
    • Terry L. Austin: yes
    • James W. Morefield: yes
    • Robert S. Bloxom, Jr.: yes
    • M. Keith Hodges: yes
    • Scott A. Wyatt: yes
    • Bill Wiley: yes
    • Ellen H. McLaughlin: yes

Related bills

No related bills recorded for this bill.

Official source

https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/SB261

Attribution

Data from openstates_bulk_csv, retrieved 2026-07-24T05:35:59.552682Z

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