animal abuse; database

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary does not provide specific details about how long records will remain in the database before being eligible for removal or what actions courts must take to ensure accuracy and security of the database.

Animal Abuse Database

This bill requires courts to establish and maintain a database for individuals convicted of certain animal cruelty offenses, including details about their conviction and personal information.

What This Bill Does

• Creates an animal abuse database that includes people who are at least 18 years old and have been found guilty or convicted of specific animal cruelty offenses such as cruel neglect, abandonment, mistreatment, killing a service animal without consent, obtaining unauthorized control over a service animal with intent to deprive the handler, killing a domestic animal without consent, animal fighting, and bestiality.
• Includes in the database specific information such as the person's conviction details, date of birth, race and physical description, photograph, and fingerprint if available.
• Allows courts to accept federal money and private donations to support the creation and maintenance of this database.
• Permits individuals listed on the database to petition for removal after five years if they meet certain conditions set by the court.
• Requires the court to remove a person's record from the database only if it is determined that all requirements have been met.

Who It Names or Affects

• Courts responsible for maintaining the animal abuse database.
• Individuals convicted of specific animal cruelty offenses who will be included in the database.
• People seeking removal from the database after meeting certain conditions.

Terms To Know

Animal Cruelty

Intentional, knowing or reckless actions that cause harm to animals through neglect, injury, mistreatment, or other harmful acts.

Petition

A formal request made to a court for the removal of an individual's record from the animal abuse database after meeting certain conditions.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify how long records will remain in the database before being eligible for removal.
• It is unclear what specific actions courts must take to ensure the accuracy and security of the database.

Official Summary Text

SB1034 - 572R - Senate Fact Sheet

Assigned to
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COMMITTEE

ARIZONA STATE SENATE

Fifty-Seventh
Legislature, Second Regular Session

FACT SHEET FOR
S.B. 1034

animal abuse database

Purpose

Requires the
court to establish and maintain an animal abuse database that includes any
person who was convicted of or found guilty except insane of
animal cruelty
,

animal fighting
or
bestiality
. Prescribes the information to
include within the database and the requirements for the removal of a person
from the database.

Background

A person commits

cruelty to animals
if the person intentionally, knowingly or

recklessly: 1) subjects any animal under the person's custody or control to
cruel neglect or abandonment; 2) inflicts unnecessary physical injury to any
animal; 3) subjects any animal to cruel mistreatment; or 4) commits other
statutorily prescribed acts (
A.R.S.
� 13-2910
).

A person commits

animal fighting
by knowingly: 1) owning, possessing, keeping or training
any animal if the person knows or has reason to know that the animal will
engage in an exhibition of gathering with another animal; 2) for amusement or
gain, causing any animal to fight with another animal, or causing any animals
to injure each other; or 3) permitting any act of animal fighting to be done on
any premises under the person's charge or control.
Animal fighting
does
not apply to animals that are trained to protect livestock from predation and
that engage in actions to protect livestock, and is considered a class 5 felony
(
A.R.S.
� 13-2910.01
).�

A person commits
bestiality
by knowingly: 1) engaging in oral
sexual contact, sexual contact or sexual intercourse with an animal; 2) causing
another person to engage in oral sexual contact, sexual contact or sexual
intercourse with an animal; or 3) possessing distributing, transporting,
exhibiting, selling, purchasing or electronically transmitting any visual
depiction in which a real person is actually engaging in oral sexual contact,
sexual contact or sexual intercourse with a real animal (
A.R.S.
� 13-1411
).

There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund (state
GF) associated with this legislation.

Provisions

1.

Requires
the court to establish and maintain an animal abuse database that includes any
person who at the time of the offense was at least 18 years of age and who was
convicted of or found guilty except insane for any of the following offenses:

a)

cruelty to animals,
if the person intentionally or knowingly:

i.

subjects any animal under the person's custody or control to cruel
neglect or abandonment that results in serious physical injury to the animal;

ii.

subjects any animal to cruel mistreatment;

iii.

kills or seriously harms a service animal without either legal privilege
or consent of the owner;

iv.

obtains or exerts unauthorized control over a service animal with the
intent to deprive the service animal handler of the service animal;

v.

subjects a domestic animal to cruel mistreatment;

vi.

kills a domestic animal without either legal privilege or consent of the
domestic animal's owner or handler; or

vii.

kills or causes serious harm to a working animal without either legal
privilege or consent of the owner;

b)

animal fighting
; and

c)

bestiality
.

2.

Requires
the database to consist only of data from the courts and include:

a)

the person's:

i.

conviction, including the date, level and jurisdiction of conviction;

ii.

date
of birth;

iii.

race and
physical description; and

iv.

photograph and
fingerprint if available;

b)

any names by which the person is known; and

c)

whether the person is male or female.

3.

Allows the court to accept and spend federal monies and private gifts,
grants, contributions and devises to assist in carrying out the purposes of the
animal abuse database.

4.

Stipulates that outlined monies do not revert to the state GF at the end
of a fiscal year.

5.

Allows
a person listed on the database to petition the court to remove the person's
record from the database, if in the petition the person avows under penalty of
perjury that:

a)

at least five years have elapsed since the person was convicted or found
guilty except insane;

b)

the person successfully completed any court-ordered animal abuse
treatment and any terms and conditions of probation; and

c)

the person demonstrates to the court that the person does not pose a
risk to animals.

6.

Requires the court to remove a person's record from the database only if
the court determines that the person has satisfied the requirements requested
during the petition.

7.

Becomes effective on the general effective date.

Prepared by
Senate Research

February 13,
2026

SB/SF/hk

Current Bill Text

SB1034 - 572R - I Ver

PREFILED��� DEC 17 2025

REFERENCE TITLE:
animal abuse; database

State of Arizona

Senate

Fifty-seventh Legislature

Second Regular Session

2026

SB 1034

Introduced by

Senator
Kavanagh

AN
ACT

AMENDING TITLE 13, CHAPTER 29, ARIZONA
REVISED STATUTES, BY ADDING SECTION 13-2910.13; RELATING TO offenses
against public order.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1. Title 13, chapter 29, Arizona
Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 13-2910.13, to read:

START_STATUTE
13-2910.13.

Animal abuse database

A. The court shall establish and
maintain an animal abuse database that includes any person who at the time of
the offense was at least eighteen years of age and who was convicted of or
found guilty except insane for any of the following offenses, whether completed
or preparatory, or the same or a substantially similar offense in another state
or jurisdiction:

1. Cruelty to animals pursuant to
section 13-2910, subsection a, paragraph 8, 9, 11, 14, 15, 16 or 19.

2. Animal fighting pursuant to
section 13-2910.01.

3. Bestiality pursuant to section 13-1411.

B. The database shall consist only of
data from the courts and shall include all of the following:

1. The person's:

(
a
) Conviction,
including the date, level and jurisdiction of conviction.

(
b
) Date of
birth.

(
c
) Race and
physical description.

(
d
) Photograph
and fingerprint, if available.

2. Any names by which the person is
known.

3. Whether the person is male or
female.

C. The court may accept and spend
federal monies and private gifts, grants, contributions and devises to assist
in carrying out the purposes of this section. These monies do not
revert to the state general fund at the end of a fiscal year.

D. A person who is listed on the
database may petition the court to remove the person's record from the
database. In the petition, the person shall avow, under penalty of
perjury, all of the following:

1. At least five years have elapsed
since the person was convicted or found guilty except insane.

2. The person successfully completed
any court-ordered animal abuse treatment and any terms and conditions of
probation.

3. The person demonstrates to the
court the person does not pose a risk to animals.

E. The court shall remove a person's
record from the database only if the court determines that the person has
satisfied the requirements prescribed in subsection d of this section.
END_STATUTE