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HB2825 • 2026

Increases the penalties for the offense of animal abuse

Increases the penalties for the offense of animal abuse

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Doll, Jo (091)
Last action
2026-05-15
Official status
05/15/2026 - Referred: Emerging Issues(H)
Effective date
2026-08-28

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Increases the penalties for the offense of animal abuse

Increases the penalties for the offense of animal abuse

What This Bill Does

  • Increases the penalties for the offense of animal abuse

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2026-05-15 Missouri House of Representatives and Missouri Senate

    Referred: Emerging Issues(H)

  2. 2026-01-08 Missouri House of Representatives and Missouri Senate

    Read Second Time (H)

  3. 2026-01-07 Missouri House of Representatives and Missouri Senate

    Introduced and Read First Time (H)

Official Summary Text

Increases the penalties for the offense of animal abuse

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
SECOND REGULAR SESSION
HOUSE BILL NO. 2825
103RD GENERAL ASSEMBL Y
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENT A TIVE DOLL.
6278H.01I JOSEPH ENGLER, Chief Clerk
AN ACT
T o repeal section 578.012, RSMo, and to enact in lieu thereof one new section relating to
animal abuse, with penalty provisions.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as follows:
Section A. Section 578.012, RSMo, is repealed and one new section enacted in lieu
2 thereof, to be known as section 578.012, to read as follows:
578.012. 1. A person commits the of fense of animal abuse if he or she:
2 (1) Intentionally or purposely kills an animal in any manner not allowed by or
3 expressly exempted from the provisions of sections 578.005 to 578.023 and 273.030;
4 (2) Purposely or intentionally causes injury or suf fering to an animal; or
5 (3) Having ownership or custody of an animal knowingly fails to provide adequate
6 care which results in substantial harm to the animal.
7 2. Animal abuse is a class [ A misdemeanor ] E felony , unless the defendant has
8 previously been found guilty of animal abuse or the suf fering involved in subdivision (2) of
9 subsection 1 of this section is the result of torture or mutilation consciously inflicted while the
10 animal was alive, in which case it is a class [ E ] D felony .
✔
EXPLANA TION — Matter enclosed in bold-faced brackets [thus] in the above bill is not enacted and is
intended to be omitted from the law . Matter in bold-face type in the above bill is proposed language.