Modifies the offense of animal abuse

Plain English Breakdown

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

Modifies the offense of animal abuse

The following summaries of this bill are available: Print All Summaries Introduced Print SB 1352 - Currently, the offense of animal abuse is a class E felony if the purposeful or intentional injury or suffering of an animal is the result of torture or mutilation consciously inflicted while the animal is alive.

What This Bill Does

• The following summaries of this bill are available: Print All Summaries Introduced Print SB 1352 - Currently, the offense of animal abuse is a class E felony if the purposeful or intentional injury or suffering of an animal is the result of torture or mutilation consciously inflicted while the animal is alive.
• This act provides that the offense is a class E felony if the purposeful or intentional injury or suffering of an animal is the result of torture or mutilation inflicted while the animal is alive or if substantial harm caused to animal is the result of starvation.
• This act is similar to a provision in SB 1304 (2026), HB 2436 (2026), HB 2904 (2026), SB 541 (2025), and HCS/HB 910 (2025).
• TRISTAN BENSON, JR.

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.

Official Summary Text

The following summaries of this bill are available:

Print All Summaries

Introduced

Print

SB 1352 - Currently, the offense of animal abuse is a class E felony if the purposeful or intentional injury or suffering of an animal
is the result of torture or mutilation consciously inflicted while the animal is alive. This act provides that the offense is a class E felony if the purposeful or intentional injury or suffering of an animal is the result of torture or mutilation inflicted while the animal is alive or if substantial harm caused to animal is the result of starvation.

This act is similar to a provision in SB 1304 (2026), HB 2436 (2026), HB 2904 (2026), SB 541 (2025), and HCS/HB 910 (2025).
TRISTAN BENSON, JR.

Current Bill Text

EXPLANATION-Matter enclosed in bold-faced brackets [thus] in this bill is not enacted
and is intended to be omitted in the law.
SECOND REGULAR SESSION
SENATE BILL NO. 1352
103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
INTRODUCED BY SENATOR NICOLA.
5157S.01I KRISTINA MARTIN, Secretary
AN ACT
To repeal section 578.012, RSMo, and to enact in lieu thereof one new section relating to the
offense of 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 1
section enacted in lieu thereof, to be known as section 578.012, 2
to read as follows:3
578.012. 1. A person commits the offense of animal 1
abuse if he or she: 2
(1) Intentionally or purposely kills an animal in any 3
manner not allowed by or expressly exempted from the 4
provisions of sections 578.005 to 578.023 and 273.030; 5
(2) Purposely or intentionally causes injury or 6
suffering to an animal; or 7
(3) Having ownership or custody of an animal knowingly 8
fails to provide adequate care which results in substantial 9
harm to the animal. 10
2. Animal abuse is a class A misdemeanor, unless the 11
defendant has previously been found guilty of animal abuse 12
[or], the suffering involved in subdivision (2) of 13
subsection 1 of this section is the result of torture or 14
mutilation [consciously] inflicted while the animal was 15
alive, or the harm involved in subdivision (3) of subsection 16
SB 1352 2
1 of this section is the result of starvation, in which case 17
it is a class E felony. 18
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